Textiles are ubiquitous in our daily lives, from clothing and household textiles to technological solutions in a wide array of applications, such as medicine, mobility and architecture. The global textile industry is one of the most important and fast-growing economic sectors, but also poses huge social and environmental challenges as the majority of textile production is carried out abroad.
Program Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030 (STS 2030)
The program supports actors in the Swiss textile and clothing sector to make their supply chains socially and environmentally sound and to integrate transparent sustainability measures in their organizations. With the majority of textile production being carried out outside of Switzerland, the program will at the same time be internationally coordinated and specifically tailored to the requirements of the Swiss context. In the long term, the multi-stakeholder program thereby contributes to the sustainable development as well as the competitiveness of the sector along the entire value chain.
Responsible bodies for the program STS 2030 are the three associations Swiss Textiles, amfori and Swiss Fair Trade. If required, the consortium will be extended. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) financially supports STS 2030 and provides together with the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) strategic support through their participation in the steering committee. Actors of the Swiss textile and clothing sector are invited to engage in the program Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030. For more information, please visit:
Key questions for a future proof and sustainable textile value chain in Switzerland
“What do trends like fast fashion, digitisation and individualisation, the use of robots in manufacturing, water and resource scarcity, and social challenges mean for textile value chains?”
“What would a sustainable, resource-saving textile industry of the future look like?”
Initiative Sustainable Textiles Switzerland
In 2018 the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) as well as the associations Swiss Textiles and amfori initiated the initiative Sustainable Textiles Switzerland as a multi-stakeholder dialogue.
The first milestone was reached with the sustainable textiles and clothing Switzerland future lab, which was held on 22 March 2018 at the Hotel Sorell Zürichberg in Zurich. The event saw some 50 figures mainly from industry, but also from the science community, NGOs and the public sector, discuss joint solutions for a future-proof and sustainable textile and clothing industry in Switzerland. A summary of the results of the one-day event can be found in the following short report.
Within the first two years, four working groups have developed target visions, fields of action and initial measures. Subsequently, in summer 2020 the initiative Sustainable Textiles Switzerland and the Kerenzerberg Future Forum Sustainable Textiles were transformed into STS 2030 (see above).
Further information
Last modification 29.12.2023
