China’s textile and apparel sector will require at least $40.8 billion in investment to reduce emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, according to the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii). Despite strong policy backing, decarbonisation is yet to scale across the industry.

China produces over half of the world’s fibre output and accounts for more than 30 per cent of global apparel exports, valued at $294 billion, positioning it as a pivotal force in lowering fashion’s carbon footprint. However, while national ‘dual carbon’ targets, green finance policies, and clean energy progress have created a favourable backdrop, decarbonisation efforts remain uneven in practice, Aii and Development Finance International (DFI) said in their latest report, ‘Landscape and Opportunities for the Decarbonization of China’s Textile and Apparel Manufacturing Sector’.

Aii identified around 44,000 ‘scaled enterprises’—companies with annual turnover above CN¥20 million (~$2.85 million)—as the segment best positioned to act. These manufacturers, many clustered in industrial parks, have the operational scale, emissions impact, and data readiness to drive near-term reductions, but face persistent barriers beyond financing.

China’s textile and apparel sector needs at least $40.8 billion to cut emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, as per Aii.
Despite supportive ‘dual carbon’ policies, decarbonisation remains uneven.
Around 44,000 scaled enterprises are best placed to act but face technical and financing gaps.
Industrial parks, green finance, and coordinated action are seen as key to scaling emissions reductions.

Manufacturers report gaps in technical know-how, planning tools, and localised support, alongside difficulty interpreting evolving brand and regulatory requirements. Although domestic green finance is widely available, aligning standard loan and equity models with diverse factory needs remains a challenge.

International financial institutions are playing a growing role, with $4.3 billion across eight active green credit lines confirmed as of 2024. However, uptake is often limited as local loans priced at 3-4 per cent are preferred over IFI-backed financing, which ranges from 3-7 per cent and can involve stricter conditions.

Industrial parks are highlighted as a strategic platform for scaling action. More than 11,000 textile enterprises operate across over 1,300 parks, offering shared infrastructure and governance models that can lower transition costs. China’s nationwide zero-carbon industrial park initiative, launched in 2025, further strengthens this pathway.

The report also pointed to emerging best practices, including digital tools, factory-level diagnostics, and bundled solutions piloted by local governments, brands, and technical partners. Aii’s Climate Solutions Portfolio identified priority interventions such as energy efficiency upgrades, renewable energy adoption, chemical innovation, and thermal energy recovery.

Aii calls for stronger collaboration across brands, manufacturers, financial institutions, and local authorities. Key recommendations include diversifying financing mechanisms, improving alignment between brand expectations and supplier capabilities, embedding low-carbon planning into core business strategy, expanding local technical assistance, and strengthening data-sharing platforms.

The report added that coordinated action and aggregated demand will be critical to translating strong climate ambition into tangible emissions reductions across China’s textile and apparel value chain.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)

Nicknamed the “last queen of Paris,” Countess Jacqueline de Ribes, a fashion designer, businesswoman, jet-set figure and symbol of Parisian elegance, particularly in the United States, died on Tuesday at the age of 96, her office said on Wednesday, speaking on behalf of the family.

Jacqueline de Ribes died in Switzerland, her assistant, Stéphanie Mouly, told AFP.

A friend of Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino, and a patron of the arts and philanthropist, she was honoured by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2015 with an exhibition featuring around 60 haute couture and ready-to-wear ensembles- the earliest dating from 1962- preserved by “the last queen of Paris.”

As early as 1956, Jacqueline de Ribes appeared on the list of the world’s best-dressed women. In 1962, she was inducted into the Fashion Hall of Fame and celebrated by the world’s leading fashion photographers.

Born Jacqueline de La Bonninière de Beaumont on 14 July 1929, the freedom-loving aristocrat, passionate about fashion since childhood, married Viscount (later Count) Edouard de Ribes (1923-2013) at age 19.

In 1962, she tried her hand at journalism, theatre, television, and interior design, and told friends and family that she would create her own fashion house, encouraged by Yves Saint Laurent, whose client she was.

Her first collection was hailed by the international press, and the US soon became her primary market. She ran her couture house until 1995, when she retired for health reasons.

At the end of 2019, the auction of works from the collection amassed with her husband raised €22.8 million at Sotheby’s France, including pre-emptions by the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles.