Mongolia has long been famous for the beautiful cashmere fibre it produces. Now it is making a name for itself in the world of fashion for an entirely different reason. International Wool Textile Organisation outlines the new national sustainable textile standard that is leading the way in the global fashion industry.
Mongolia Comes One Step Closer to Making Fashion Sustainability A Reality
Mongolia recently approved the National MNS 6926:2021 – Standard for Sustainable Textile Production. The new standard emerges from the government’s progressive policies on sustainable development, as embodied in its Vision 2050 and 2030 Global Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The main objective of the standard is to make the textile industry – a major source of income and employment for Mongolia – socially responsible and environmentally friendly. Wool producers will be actively contributing to greening the sector by complying with the stipulations of the standard.
Issues covered by the standard include:
- The rational use of natural resources
- Energy consumption
- The use of chemicals
- Industrial waste
- Social responsibility
- Labour protection
- Animal rights
The main outcomes and criteria of the standard are based on the Voluntary Code of Practice for Sustainable Production, which itself emerged from the EU-funded SWITCH-Asia Sustainable Textile Production and Eco Labelling (STeP EcoLab) project. STeP EcoLab was implemented by AVSF Mongolia and its partners.
“It wasn’t an easy process,” says Dr Ukhnaa Sarangoo, Manager of the STeP EcoLab project. “Initially, the concept of sustainability wasn’t clearly understood, especially among SMEs. Jointly with our partners, we had numerous meetings and consultations with key government institutions, as well as with processors. We explained the necessity for sustainable production and justified our interventions and had to be constant and systematic in our approach. Mongolia is a developing country and is very committed to promoting sustainable development in all sectors and boosting economic growth. Therefore, the approval of the National Standard in the wool and cashmere sector is imperative for the country’s development and its global recognition. But this is just an initial step, much more should be planned ahead.”
Dr Ukhnaa Sarangoo will present the STeP EcoLab project at the IWTO Congress in October. For registration and details, click here.
About the STeP EcoLab
The STeP EcoLab project, the driving force behind the Mongolian Standard for Sustainable Textile Production, is a project funded by the EU and dedicated to promoting sustainable practices within the entire value chain of cashmere and wool production in Mongolia. It also aims to increase the benefits of the wool industry for all stakeholders.
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