READY TO MAKE THE FASHION INDUSTRY PLANET P7SITIVE - 5 INNÖVATIONS GLOBAL CHANGE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED 6 APRIL, 2022 - CISION
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5 INNöVATIONS
READY TO MAKE THE FASHION
INDUSTRY PLANET P7SITIVE
Global Change Award winners announced 6 April, 2022
Press release 6 April 2022 1
PRESS RELEASE 6 April 2022
H&M Foundation awards 5 innovations a total €1 million grant
for their efforts to make the fashion industry planet positive
This press release is under embargo until 6 april.
A laundry solution that prolongs garments’ life, AI helping smallholder cotton farmers to increase
yield and income, an invention realising the circular recycling of elastane and polyester blends,
carbon-negative viscose made from CO2 emissions and regenerative agriculture making planet positive
alternative to goose down – these are the five Global Change Award winners 2022,
sharing a €1 million grant from the non-profit H&M Foundation.
The H&M Foundation launched the Global Change Award in 2015 to transform fashion
and make it planet positive, in order for the industry to fulfil the UN Sustainable Development Goals
by 2030. That means finding and supporting disruptive innovations that address one or several
of the earth’s global commons – land, water, oceans, climate and biodiversity. As the aim is to find
innovations that allow major change for the entire industry the winners are free to collaborate with any
actor they want.
“The winners of the Global Change Award hold the key to the complex challenges we are facing
and prove that it’s possible to reinvent fashion. Their game-changing innovations are really inspiring
and can help transform the fashion industry into a planet positive one.” – Karl-Johan Persson,
board member of H&M Foundation and Chairman of H&M Group.
The response from applicants was overwhelming and made it clear that there is
no shortage of disruptive innovations out there. The momentum to transform the fashion industry
into a planet positive one, to protect our planet and improve people’s living conditions
has never been stronger. This year’s winners are:
BioPuff® by saltyco (UK) – A planet positive alternative to goose down,
crafted from plants that heal damaged land.
BIORESTORE (Sweden) – A laundry solution that restores old and worn garments to mint condition.
CottonAce by Wadhwani AI (India) – An AI solution that reduces pesticide use,
increases yield and raises incomes for smallholder cotton farmers.
Re:lastane (China) – The first mild process making elastane and polyester blend fabrics recyclable.
Rubi (US) – Planet positive viscose and lyocell made from carbon emissions.
In addition to the financial grant, all five winners also get access to the one-year
GCA Impact Accelerator programme provided by H&M Foundation in partnership with Accenture,
KTH Royal Institute of Technology and The Mills, offering the winners invaluable coaching and support,
along with a strong network and memories for life. The GCA Impact Accelerator aims to help the winning
ideas scale at speed through business, technology, investor and innovation readiness, and industry
access. It also offers winners a mix of inspiring digital sessions and meetups at key locations.
2
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ABÄUT THE GLOBAL CHANGE AWARD 2022
Impossible materials, ground-breaking Helping innovations scale and accelerate
Now, each innovation enters a new phase where the end-goal
recycling techniques and disruptive supply is to accelerate it from prototype or early-stage idea into reality.
chain solutions. The Global Change Award The GCA Impact Accelerator programme brings the winners
is part of transforming fashion and turning the invaluable coaching and support along with a fierce network of
brilliant minds and memories for life. The programme enables
entire industry planet positive. Now, we are
accelerated scaling of the winning ideas through innovation,
accelerating the reinvention of fashion by business, tech and investor readiness as well as industry
supporting five new disruptive innovations. access. It also brings winners a mix of inspiring digital sessions
and meet-ups at key locations.
The Global Change Award launched as the first innovation
challenge of its kind back in 2015. In the seven years since, After the year is up, winners move to the GCA Alumni network,
we have received over 20,000 entries and awarded over 30 where they join over 30 incredible, talented and dedicated
disruptive innovations from across the world a combined teams who meet regularly to collaborate and share tips and
grant of €6,000,000. And the grant is just one perk of winning insights.
the GCA.
Paving way to a planet positive future
Designed for impact The H&M Foundation launched the Global Change Award
After winning the GCA, the teams split a €1,000,000 grant and to transform fashion and make it planet positive. That means
venture into a year-long GCA Impact Accelerator programme becoming an industry that benefits the planet and its global
created by H&M Foundation, Accenture, KTH Royal Institute of commons instead of harming it and depleting its resources.
Technology and The Mills Fabrica. A programme that is tailored Innovation has the power to do it, and previous GCA winners
to meet the needs of each team and help them develop and prove it. Already, several past winners are used by, or in
scale their innovations for impact. Because the fashion industry, collaborations with, global brands and businesses to transform
the planet and humanity need these innovations to succeed and the fashion industry.
become available to as many as possible, as soon as possible.
Netiher H&M Foundation or H&M Group take any shareholder
In contrast to previous years, the GCA 2022 takes a more equity or intellectual property rights in the innovations. The
holistic approach in order for the fashion industry to achieve winners can collaborate with whomever they want, the aim is to
fundamental change before 2030 and fulfil the UN Sustainable find innovations that allow major change for the entire industry.
Development Goals. Meaning the winning innovations of 2022
are not only focusing on making the fashion industry circular, Learn more at globalchangeaward.com
but also addresses one or several of the earth’s global
commons – land, water, oceans, climate and biodiversity.
Mars 2022 3
THE EXPERT PANEL
The Impact Advisors of the GCA Expert Panel 2022 has extensive knowledge within the global commons as well as fashion,
investments, entrepeneurship and innovation. They play an active role in the GCA Impact Accelerator interacting with the winners
in different ways. They all participate pro bono.
CAROLINE BROWN BETELHEM DESSIE WALDEN LAM SONAM KAPOOR AHUJA
Managing Director, Closed Loop CEO of iCog ACC Co-founder & CEO, unspun, Actress and social activist
Partners (Anyone Can Code) and GCA winner 2017
Project Advisor of Solve IT
MIRNA INÉS FERNÁNDEZ MALIN ÅKERMAN DR. LIN LI RACHEL CERNANSKY
Co-founder, Reacción Climática Actress and environmental Director of Global Policy and Senior Sustainability Editor,
and Steering Committee member, activist Advocacy, WWF International Vogue Business
Global Youth Biodiversity Network
Mars 2022 4
QU3TES April 22 5
VOICES ON THE GLPBAL CHANGE AWARD KARL-JOHAN PERSSON, CLARA BROOK, MALIN ÅKERMAN, Board member of H&M Foundation Strategy Lead Global Change Award, H&M Foundation Actress and environmental activist and Chairman of H&M Group “As a family, we have always felt that we have the “With a planet positive mindset, the fashion industry can “The reason why I chose to engage in the GCA expert responsibility and the possibility to contribute to positive operate in ways that regenerates instead of depletes the panel is because innovators within fashion are the ones change also beyond the company sphere. Through the earth’s resources. We want the Global Change Award to that will get us to a climate positive fashion industry – and H&M Foundation’s opensource approach we can help, be a catalyzing platform for this transformation, and I see I am so proud to be a small part of this journey.” find and support early innovation and thereby speed up huge potential in this year’s winning innovations.” the transformation of the fashion industry.” Mars 2022 6
MORE VOICES ON THE GLPBAL CHANGE AWARD
JILL STANDISH, SIGBRITT KARLSSON, VANESSA CHEUNG,
Global lead for Accenture’s Retail industry group President of KTH Founder of The Mills
“The retail industry has proven decade after decade that “KTH works for long-term sustainable solutions in both “The Mills Fabrica, as the innovation arm of The Mills,
it is adaptable and resilient. Embedding sustainability into research and education. Therefore, it is natural to be part provides a platform of solutions to accelerate techstyle, an
everything we do will drive new levels of value and impact of the Global Change Award, which is now returning with intersection of technology and lifestyle, textile and apparel,
across the industry and for all stakeholders, from employees renewed strength after the pandemic. Creating solutions and agrifood tech startups that are tackling some of the
to the customers and wider communities, in addition to that are good in themselves, and that are part of the world’s biggest environmental challenges to help transform
shareholders. The Global Change Award continues to be solution itself – rather than a substitute for what is bad – the industry across the value chain. We are excited to be
an important initiative in finding and supporting disruptive is an exciting development in the fashion industry. part of the Global Change Award, a like-minded partner that
innovations that drive fashion forward in a sustainable and The breadth and depth of the various contributions' leads the industry efforts in driving positive impact. We
responsible way.“ perspectives show how comprehensive the climate believe that through industry-wide collaboration and support
issue is” for innovations, we can empower stakeholders in integrating
sustainable practices in their businesses and catalyze
positive systemic change to the industry”
Mars 2022 7
THE EXPERT PANEL ON THE INN8VATIONS
COTTONACE RUBI BIOPUFF® BY SALTYCO RE:LASTANE BIORESTORE
Betelhem Dessie, CEO of iCog Dr. Lin Li, Director of Global Policy Mirna Inés Fernández, Co-founder, Walden Lam, Co-founder & CEO Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, actress and
ACC, on GCA 2022 winner and Advocacy, WWF International, Reacción Climática and Steering unspun, on GCA 2022 winner social activist on GCA 2022
CottonAce: on GCA 2022 winner Rubi: Committee member Global Youth Re:lastane: winner BioRestore:
Biodiversity Network, on GCA 2022
winner saltyco:
“Utilizing AI to modernize what is “This innovation, if expanded to “The pandemic has highlighted the “The innovations we see from
commonly known as a traditional industrial scale, will contribute importance comfort in the clothes Global Change Award are truly
greatly to CO2 removal and bring “Saltyco's innovation provides we wear, and with that the rising inspiring. Biorestore is a washing
sector is a step in the right direction
direct and indirect water/land an integral solution addressing use of blends, especially with powder, anyone can use it – and it
to solve the smallholder cotton
benefits to nature and people. different environmental and social spandex. Currently, it's prohibitively can prolong the life of our
farmers pest problems.”
issues at the same time. Its garments. That’s good for our
This potentially can be a carbon costly and nearly impossible to
planet as well as our own wardrobe.
neutral/negative and nature positive alternative material is not only more recycle blended materials. Realizing
sustainable and cruelty free, but it When you buy something that you
solution to our intertwined climate and scaling Re:lastane's innovation love and feel comfortable in – you
change and biodiversity loss also assists in the restoration of will allow us to address a key
degraded ecosystems and provides challenge in the recycling of want it to last as long as possible!
challenges.” Scaling this innovation can really
a sustainable source of income to apparel, getting us one step closer transform the way we use our
farmers. This is the kind of solutions to circularity.”
clothes.”
the fashion industry must seek to
become a driver of transformative
Mars 2022 change.” 8
MEET THE GCA 2J22 WINNERS
COTTONACE BY RUBI BIOPUFF® BY SALTYCO RE:LASTANE BIORESTORE
WADHWANI AI
“We are thrilled to be among the "The Rubi team is thrilled to win “Being selected as a GCA winner “Winning the Global Change Award “The GCA will accelerate our dream
winners of the Global Change the 2022 Global Change Award and showcases to us the fashion is very meaningful for our team as into a reality – to offer a simple and
Award in 2022. Being a part of the for the opportunity that the program industry is willing to move towards GCA is providing us a unique sustainable solution to a global
GCA cohort and availing of the provides to accelerate a regenerative future. Saltyco firmly platform to grow. We are excited consumer problem. With the help
industry interactions, support and commercialization of our carbon- believes that the only path to and proud of joining the GCA and support of the H&M Foundation
mentorship that it offers will help negative textiles technology in the limiting fashion's effects on climate family. We are convinced that we now have a global platform to
drive us further towards realising fashion industry. Together, we look change is through meaningful industrialization process of our extend garment life and prevent
our goal of improving the lives of forward to making planet-positive collaboration across the industry. technology will be accelerated after clothes being sent to an early
cotton farmers in India and other supply chains a reality, sooner than We are delighted to work with the winning GCA and we are ready to landfill grave.”
you think!" H&M Foundation to continue make real global changes to our
developing nations.”
designing alternative materials that planet!”
put nature first.”
April 22 9
AB6UT H&M FOUNDATION
The H&M Foundation is an independent non-profit global
foundation for public good, headquartered in Stockholm,
Sweden. This foundation is privately funded by the Stefan
Persson family, founders and main owners of the H&M
Group. Founded to accelerate the realisation of the UN
Sustainable Development Goals 2030, H&M Foundation
uses collaboration and innovation to co-create, fund and
share solutions for the world’s most urgent challenges.
To help safeguard the welfare of humanity the foundation is
catalysing the fashion industry to become planet positive
and accelerating development for inclusive societies.
Breakthrough innovations and findings are openly shared for
anyone to adopt and scale, in order to contribute to systems
change. The H&M Foundation can also provide emergency
relief. For more information visit hmfoundation.com or follow
@hmfoundation on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and
LinkedIn.
Mars 2022 10CVNTACT
For any questions or inquiries, please contact:
JASMINA SOFIC
Media Relations Responsible
jasmina.sofic@hmfoundation.com
Mars 2022 11You can also read
