ABOUT
THE PROJECT
Textile Futures 2040 is a futures project developed by Forum for the Future in partnership with the H&M Foundation. It sets out to enable actors across the textile industry to better understand, engage with, and act upon the systemic changes required to achieve a just and decarbonised sector.
The project responds to a central difficulty: while there is broad agreement on the need for change, progress has been constrained by short term thinking, entrenched relationships, and imbalances of power across the value chain. By constructing a set of credible future scenarios, and by conducting that work through a deliberately inclusive and participatory process, the project seeks to challenge established assumptions and to expand the range of futures that the industry believes to be possible.
How the scenarios were made, who was involved:
The scenarios were developed through a structured process combining desk research, expert interviews, and a series of geographically specific focus groups with actors from across the value chain. Trends identified through this work were analysed using a framework spanning social, technological, economic, environmental, and political factors, and the most significant uncertainties were used to construct four distinct scenarios.
These were then tested and refined through a series of workshops convening value chain actors, technical experts, and community and civil society representatives, before being launched together with a supporting toolkit and this website. Throughout, particular care was taken to include voices that are often marginalised within the industry, including smaller brands and actors at the earlier and less visible stages of production, and to conduct the work in a manner that is transparent and non-extractive.
About Forum for the Future:
Forum for the Future is an international organisation whose purpose is to accelerate the shift towards a more just and regenerative future. We operate from four offices located in the UK, US, Southeast Asia and India. This Annual Report provides an overview of our work with business, government, philanthropy and wider civil society to understand complex systemic challenges, build change making capabilities, and accelerate transitions
in food, energy, climate and health, business leadership, value chains and business models. It also showcases the School of System Change, whose multi-method approach to systems change learning helps leaders and change-makers build the capabilities needed to navigate complexity and create collective transformation.
About H&M Foundation:
H&M Foundation supports the industry in halving its greenhouse gas emissions every decade by 2050, while promoting a just transition for both people and the planet. The Foundation uses philanthropic resources to fund vital research and breakthrough innovation, develop impactful partnerships and create storytelling that inspires change.
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By signing up, you will receive occasional updates on Textile Futures 2040, including new resources, forthcoming workshops and events, and the further outputs that will be added to this site as the work develops.
