ECOCERT Sustainable Fashion Salon Successfully Held at Intertextile Shanghai — Building Trust Through Certification, Empowering the Industry Through the Full Value Chain

On the afternoon of August 26, ECOCERT China successfully hosted the "ECOCERT Sustainable Fashion Salon" during the 2026 Intertextile Shanghai Expo. The salon brought together representatives from international standards organizations, EU compliance experts, fashion brands, and textile supply chain executives for in-depth discussions on the evolution of global standards, EU market access, full-value-chain sustainability practices, and carbon data applications. Zhang Tingting, Brand Director of ECOCERT China, served as the host. With over 200 attendees, the event featured lively on-site interaction.

🌍 EU Compliance Accelerates: Certification Shifts from "Bonus" to "Entry Ticket"

Philippe Thomazo, CEO of ECOCERT Group, noted that the EU is building a comprehensive regulatory framework through measures such as the Digital Product Passport (DPP, with textiles prioritized for implementation in 2027), the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive, and the CSRD/CSDDD. "Companies that are first to establish transparent supply chains will gain a competitive brand advantage." Leveraging its global network, ECOCERT provides full-value-chain services — from certification and training to auditing and verification — helping clients lay the groundwork early at lower compliance costs.

📜 From GOTS to GRTS: Building Global Trust Through Standards

Rahul Bhajekar, Executive Director of Global Standards, shared the development journey of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): GOTS now covers more than 90 countries with approximately 20,000 certified entities, of which China accounts for 17%, ranking second globally. The Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS), upgraded from GOTS, will be officially released in September 2026, further harmonizing sustainable textile criteria and reducing the redundant costs of multiple certifications for companies. Rahul emphasized that international brands increasingly view certification as a symbol of credibility — "Certification is efficiency, and even more so, the hard currency of trust."

♻️ Texhong's Practice: Certification Drives Cost Reduction and Efficiency Gains Across the Value Chain

Du Qin, Director of Texhong (China) Investment Co., Ltd., shared her insights: as one of the world's largest producers of cotton core-spun yarn, Texhong has integrated the 3R principles into its strategy, built a 181 MW photovoltaic power station, and reduced carbon emissions by 31.5% over five years. Du Qin noted: "Certification is not a burden, but a core carrier of sustainable value — it has helped us save significant communication and verification costs in gaining access to international clients, turning green investment into long-term competitiveness."

🔗 ECOCERT's Full-Value-Chain Solution: Bridging the "Trust Gap"

Geng Yunxia, General Manager of ECOCERT China, presented a full-value-chain solution covering the complete product life cycle: on the certification side, rigorous traceability and carbon footprint accounting allow one certification to meet multiple standards; on the connection side, platforms such as the "Organic & Sustainable Living Market" are built to efficiently link producers with brands; on the communication side, professional standards are translated into consumer-friendly language, enhancing the visibility of certification marks and the premium capacity of products.

💡 Launch of New Carbon Service: Integrated "Calculate–Verify–Apply"

Xu Qian, Chief Sustainability Officer of ECOCERT China, unveiled a comprehensive carbon service portfolio: Calculate — an AI-powered carbon data platform (in partnership) simplifies data collection and accounting, lowering the entry barrier; Verify — independent third-party verification based on ISO 14064/14067 ensures data authenticity and traceability; Apply — alignment with environmental impact assessment, carbon neutrality evaluation, and DPP compliance, so a single investment meets diverse needs.

🤝 Voices from Industry Partners

The roundtable dialogue, hosted by Jia Yan, Deputy General Manager of ECOCERT China, featured executives from ICICLE, Dongli Cashmere, Dexin Cashmere, Hemplife Biotech, and other companies. Guests discussed topics such as "how to build a credible supply chain," "how to respond to transparency requirements," and "how the industry chain can share the costs of transition."

Hou Aihua, Vice President of ICICLE: ICICLE has followed the Eastern philosophy of "harmony between man and nature" since its founding; its sustainability philosophy can be summed up in six characters — "Revere Heaven, Cherish People, Treasure Things."

Cheng Xiaohu, General Manager of Dongli Cashmere: "True trust is not built through advocacy, but through traceable, verifiable, long-term hard work."

Liu Fengyan, Technical Director of Dexin Cashmere: "Many of our products are ECOCERT-certified — verifiable and traceable from raw material to finished goods."

Feng Zhen, General Manager of Hemplife Biotech: "We have partnered with ECOCERT for over 15 years, with quality controlled throughout the entire process from cultivation to harvest."

✨ ECOCERT's Value Commitment

Since entering China in 1998, ECOCERT has served more than 2,000 companies. With diverse certification systems including GOTS, OCS, GRS, RCS, SFA, RDS, and RAF, as well as carbon services, training, and technical consulting, we accompany textile clients in achieving sustainable transformation at the lowest possible compliance cost. We thank all speakers, roundtable partners, and attendees — your deep engagement made this dialogue truly insightful!