Textile players to join Sustainability Talks Istanbul in Nov 2022

The event is organised in collaboration with Orbit Consulting and Kipas Textiles, and in strategic partnership with the Istanbul Textile Exporters Association, according to a press release. The aim of the third Sustainability Talks Istanbul Conference is to raise awareness of sustainability in the textile industry and initiate solution-oriented steps with industry representatives and pioneers.

The conference was the first event which discussed comprehensively the topic of sustainability in the textile industry in Turkiye. The aim is to develop sustainable solutions to all challenges that the industry faces, from climate emergency to traceability, responsible supply of raw materials to minimal resource consumption, with a focus on innovation and transparency. This year Textile Exchange will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the Sustainability Talks Istanbul After Party.

“As Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters' Association, we have been focusing on sustainability since 2020 and conducting our work in this direction. Sustainability Talks Istanbul is an organisation that brings national and international stakeholders of the textile industry together. In the Sustainability Talks programme, which we expect the widest participation of all times this year, the most competent names in the field will share the most updated information on topics that are very related to our industry, such as sustainability, circular economy, and energy efficiency,” said Ahmet Oksuz, president of the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters' Association (ITHIB).

“Being the first sector to announce its Sustainability Action Plan, our textile industry continues to support its member companies with its 4-month long-term training programme and the Sustainable Textiles URGE Project. In this context, we are increasing our collaborations so that our Sustainability Talks Event, which we give great importance, has a wider impact, and includes the entire industry,” said Sultan Tepe, Textile and Raw Materials Sector Board Sustainability Committee chairman and ITHIB board member.

“With the participation of the actors of the national and international fashion and textile sectors, we will host more than 30 speakers and sector representatives, academia, public, and NGOs from all stages of the textile supply chain. The programmes, for which we anticipate the physical participation of more than 1000 people and digital participation of over 5000, and which will take place in 35 stands, are rapidly taking shape,” said Bikem Kanik, member of the executive board of Orbit Consulting.

“The conference, which we will organise for the third time this year, is on the way to become a worldwide brand. The titles of the panels of the conference ‘Sustainability Talks Istanbul’ are as follows: Track & Trace: Future Solutions for Transparency, Circularity & Post Consumer Recycling, Futureproof Cotton, Innovative Manufacturing Solutions & Carbon Neutrality, and Generation Now: long-term thinking for people and the planet. We look forward to seeing all our solution partners at the conference,” said Halit Gumuser, member of the board of directors, and general manager of Kipas.

The Sustainability Talks Istanbul conference will be held at Zorlu PSM, Turkcell Stage. It will discuss the experiences of participants striving to produce textiles responsibly on a global scale by integrating innovations in digitalisation, biotechnology, renewable energy, recycling technologies and raw materials into their business models. The conference, which guests can watch at Zorlu PSM, will also be available online, added the release.

Sustainability Talks keynote speakers include Arnoud Passenier of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management, Nicolas Prophte of PVH Corp, Leyla Ertur of H&M, Andreas Streubig of Hugo Boss, Guilherme Scheffer of Scheffer, Amy Hall of Eileen Fisher Foundation, Madison Wright of Pentatonic, Sevgin Sicim of C&A, and Jean Hegedus of The LYCRA Company.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)