The Road to Decarbonization? It’s Electrifying!

Responsible for between two to 10 percent of global emissions, the fashion industry has what the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) believes to be an “immense opportunity” to decarbonize.

With a crossroads on the horizon—electrification against immediate action—the industry advocate has published its following roadmap outlining steps industry players can take in the near-, mid-and long-term to implement electrification effectively in pursuit of net zero.

“While our roadmap outlines a scenario to net zero, its success is not guaranteed—this is a signal of what is possible and what needs to happen. The textile sector is at a critical juncture,” Aii’s corresponding whitepaper reads. “With the roadmap for low-carbon thermal energy transition outlining a phased path to 2040, Apparel Impact Institute calls upon brands and suppliers to rise to this challenge and seize the opportunity for transformative change.”

The California nonprofit’s second, 108-page report in a two-part series outlined scenarios for the sector’s transition and identified immediate opportunities and “pinch points” in need of attention to realize these scenarios. The latest roadmap, also authored by decarbonization consulting firm Global Efficiency Intelligence (GEI), provided brands and manufacturers—as well as policymakers and financial institutions—with recommended actions aligned with achieving net zero.  While the first report assessed low-carbon technologies, “Low-Carbon Thermal Energy Roadmap for the Textile Industry” conducted quantitative assessments to develop “actionable strategies” to shift textile manufacturing in five key countries—China, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Indonesia—toward alternative fossil fuels and electrification technologies.

In summary? It’s complicated.

The roadmap found there is ample opportunity to decarbonize: shifting heat production to lower-carbon alternative fuels (aka sustainable biomass, which, in this case, means agricultural discards like certified wood waste and palm kernel shells) in the near term and, in the longer term, to electrified processes (aka using electric boilers and heat pumps).

However, there are caveats.

The five countries in focus bring different strengths and weaknesses to the table. For example, scaling sustainable biomass industry-wide is “constrained” by availability, cost and environmental concerns. Furthermore, per the roadmap, the ability of an individual plant to switch to natural gas boilers is “highly dependent” on the local natural gas infrastructure—and the feasibility of connecting to that natural gas distribution system.

With that in mind, Bangladesh has limited infrastructure for large-scale biomass adaption as well as grid reliability issues; the country’s best solution would be electrification with steam-generating heat pumps. China, however, is best suited for electrification through both heat pumps and electric boilers. India’s most promising option is utilizing both biomass and heat pumps. Vietnam benefits from electrification, sustainable biomass and corporate renewable energy procurement. Indonesia’s transition requires “careful consideration” of factors such as coal dependence, biomass sustainability and the development of renewable energy infrastructure.

To drive the point further: sustainable biomass makes the most sense for Vietnam, India and China, as these countries either have preexisting operations already in place, government support, and/or sufficient feedstock. It also makes sense—theoretically—for Indonesia, as the world’s largest producer of palm oil. But in practice, palm kernel husks pose a high deforestation risk. To that end, it makes the least sense for Bangladesh, as using its (unsustainable) biomass would yield more emissions “relative to other countries due to the lower emission factor of natural gas, the currently used fuel,” the roadmap explained.  

In short? When coupled with clean energy sources, electrification offers significant carbon emissions reduction potential compared to incumbent fossil fuel-based boilers.

“Achieving these ambitious goals requires immediate and sustained action, with brands creating the market signal and suppliers leading implementation—supported by brands to ensure an inclusive and just transition,” per the whitepaper, with the Clean by Design promoter’s calls to action for each stakeholder group ensuing.  

For apparel brands, Aii recommended serving as the “catalyst for change.”  This could be done by committing to long-term targets on electrification and renewable energy in the supply chain, supporting suppliers in that transition, ensuring sustainable biomass sourcing, and advocating for policy and infrastructure development.

For textile manufacturers, Aii recommended taking the lead. That would look like collaborating with brands on technical and fiscal support to transition and implement “thermal load reduction” projects in service of future electrification, as well as electrifying when the emissions and financial case align.  

Working together—with collective efforts from brands, suppliers, policymakers, financiers and utilities—per Aii, is how the industry will achieve a “just” transition.

“The transition to low-carbon thermal energy must be inclusive and equitable,” Aii said before calling on brands to prioritize supplier engagement and collaboration. “Through transparency and commitment, brands can develop the necessary business cases for suppliers to implement transition activities. The time to act is now.”

The Cascale partner outlined its own role in the sectoral transformation, too. The trident of topics—industry collaboration, climate solutions focus, and ecosystem leadership—explored efforts such as enhanced benchmarking, thermal load reductions, the Climate Solutions Portfolio (CSP) Grant Funding and the establishment of a Supplier Advisory Council, among others.