At the recent 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP27, GOTS was recognised by the US Department of State and the International Trade Centre as a recommended standard for textile processing. Part of an effort to help scale small and medium enterprises (SMEs) while strengthening their environmental commitment, the Climate Smart Network is an online platform that features GOTS-certified businesses and connects producers to buyers along the supply chain.
As part of the Connecting Climate Entrepreneurs (CCE) initiative, Special Representative for Global Partnerships Dorothy McAuliffe and Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton of the International Trade Center (ITC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
The MOU formalizes collaboration between the Department of State and ITC on various CCE activities, starting with the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Climate Smart Platform that is designed to showcase and scale SME climate smart products and solutions, assist with their compliance to established environmental standards and certifications, and solidify their commitment to low-carbon practices.
The SME Climate Smart Platform will also assist large buyers with identifying products that meet their climate objectives and diversify their supply chains. Through the partnership, ITC will identify and recruit SMEs to join the platform and engage with third-party organizations such as Global Organic Textile Standard and Gold Standard to ensure SME compliance with environmental standards.
The Department of State’s Office of Global Partnerships, and the Office of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will encourage large private sector purchasers to utilize the SME Climate Smart Platform, and socialize the platform with U.S. embassies and appropriate SMEs.
CCE is a public-private partnership between the Department of State’s Office of Global Partnerships and private sector entities to leverage the U.S. entrepreneurial ecosystem to advance climate entrepreneurship worldwide. CCE was launched in collaboration with LinkedIn, Salesforce, and General Electric in 2021 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.
