The Global Fibre Impact Explorer examines the location-specific impacts of raw materials.

We’re proud to have adopted the Global Fibre Impact Explorer (GFIE). It’s a digital tool designed to help fashion brands understand the regional environmental risks and impacts associated with their fiber sourcing. Developed by Google in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, the tool gives the fashion and textile industry access to previously unavailable information.

Goals

We’re getting granular based on local data.

Through the GFIE, brands will be able to compare location-specific risks for more than 20 fiber types. This helps them to make holistic decisions around sustainable sourcing, bringing us closer to realizing our Climate+ vision.

green tree bark.
How it Works

Using Google Cloud to evaluate risks by region

Run on Google

The GFIE is built on the Google Earth Engine and uses Google Cloud computing.

Risk assessment

The tool evaluates the environmental risk different fibers pose across specific regions, looking at climate, biodiversity, water use, forestry, and air pollution.

Evaluation across fiber types

Brands can use the tool to identify risks across more than 20 fiber types, including plant-based, synthetic, manmade cellulosic, and animal materials.

Recommendations

The tool also provides brands with recommendations for targeted and region-specific risk-reduction activities, including opportunities to work
with farmers, producers, and communities.

Development

We’re reviewing the tool with subject matter experts.

The GFIE is being reviewed internally and externally to ensure the methodology and interface are robust, transparent, and user-friendly before we launch it to the public in 2023. In the meantime, our members can explore the Preferred Fiber and Materials Matrix to understand impacts on a global level.

Learn More

Explore our other resources

Our reports, webinars, and documents share leading information across the fashion and textile industry, helping people at all stages of their journey make better choices.

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