The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) and the Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to align efforts in reducing audit duplication and advancing data convergence across the textile sector.  

Through this strategic partnership, SLCP’s Converged Assessment Framework (CAF) will be recognized as an accepted data source to meet the social fairness requirements of Cradle to Cradle Certified® (C2C Certified®) Standard.  

Suppliers will now be able to use SLCP data to demonstrate compliance with C2CPII requirements, that workers are treated fairly and that suppliers uphold strong social practices throughout their supply chains. By enabling data sharing, C2CPII and SLCP are reducing duplicative audits and helping brands and suppliers to unlock efficiencies and redirect resources toward meaningful improvements.  

The recognition of SLCP’s CAF to meet C2CPII’s social fairness criteria brings tangible benefits to the industry:  

• Reduced audit fatigue: Eliminates the need for duplicative audits and saving time and resources.   

• Greater alignment: Fosters industry-wide harmonisation, making it easier for brands to navigate compliance and certification landscapes.  

• Credibility and efficiency: By leveraging credible data that SLCP provides to meet C2CPII requirements, companies gain trustworthy social compliance information to support more informed decision-making.  

• Accelerated sustainability: Less audit duplication means more time and investment in improving working conditions and advancing circularity goals.  

This partnership is a testament to what’s possible when two leading initiatives come together to simplify compliance and amplify progress. 

For questions related to the partnership, please reach out to C2C (info@c2ccertified.org) or SLCP (info@slconvergence.org).

In light of recent developments where tariffs have been increasingly used as a trade enabler or barrier, manufacturers and facilities have been directly impacted.

SLCP and ITC are conducting a short survey to better understand these impacts at scale on global supply chains.

The survey asks 14 questions on how the tariffs have affected your business, including effects on export volumes, adjustments you’ve made in response to the tariffs, impacts on workers and outlook on future exports.

This short survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete. We greatly appreciate your participation.

Why is this survey needed? The aim is to increase awareness of how the latest tariffs are impacting the apparel & textile industry

Who should fill it out? Apparel & Textile Manufacturers (you do not have to be using SLCP to complete this survey) 

Can I share it? Yes! We encourage you to share the survey with other facilities or manufacturers. Please do so with this link.

What is the deadline for the survey? 14 November

Brussels, Thursday 25 September 2025 – Today, nine organisations - including amfori, Cascale, Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI), Ethical Trade Norway, Ethical Trade Sweden, Fair Labor Association, Fair Wear Foundation, Green button and the Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) - bringing together over 8,000 member companies and affiliates, have released a joint statement ahead of the upcoming EU negotiations on the EU Omnibus proposal.

Simplifying must not compromise standards
Drawing on their extensive experience in responsible supply chain practices, these organisations call on EU policymakers to ensure that efforts to simplify the EU sustainability due diligence and reporting framework preserve the alignment with international standards. These include the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and ILO Conventions.
“Risk-based due diligence makes business sense as it allows prioritising action where it matters most,” the statement reads. “It enables companies to prioritise risks and therefore manage them effectively, build resilient supply chains, and contribute meaningfully to the EU’s climate and social goals.

Key recommendations to EU policymakers

• Embed a risk-based approach
  A risk-based approach should be the foundation of due diligence and reporting obligations. This enables companies to prioritise the most severe and likely risks to people and the environment, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model.

• Strengthen collaboration across supply chains
  companies to work closely with their suppliers across the supply chain. Moving away from a rigid cap will foster transparency, responsible business practices and meaningful stakeholder engagement.

• Ensure legal certainty and policy stability
  stable regulations are essential for businesses to plan, invest and engage confidently with global partners.

Commitment to responsible business conduct
The signatories reaffirm their commitment to advancing responsible business conduct in global supply chains. They believe that simplifying due diligence and reporting requirements can be achieved without compromising from the spirit of international standards. The group stands ready to support EU institutions in delivering a framework that is ambitious, risk-based and fit for purpose

Read the full statement here.

The integration embeds verified SLCP data available in supplier profiles on the Retraced platform, linked to existing compliance and sourcing workflows, and actionable through corrective action planning tools (CAPA). For ESG and sourcing teams, it removes the friction of repeated audits and redundant requests to fashion suppliers, helping all stakeholders focus on long-term improvements of working conditions. 

This marks a new phase in the collaboration between SLCP and Retraced, aimed at giving supply chain partners access to credible, evidence-based insights that drive more efficient and strategic compliance management. 

Lukas Puender, CEO at Retraced, said: 
“Our goal at Retraced has always been to make sustainability management and responsible supplier management more efficient and impactful. Our partnership with SLCP is a cornerstone for this goal. By integrating verified SLCP data into the Retraced platform, we’re enabling both brands and suppliers to save time, reduce duplication, and work with reliable information. This is just the first step in a multi-phase journey and we’re proud to support SLCP’s mission. Becoming a Passive Accredited Host for SLCP is a significant step forward in our mission to drive transparency and accountability in global supply chains.” 

SLCP COO Steve Harris added: 
“We’re excited to welcome Retraced as a Passive Accredited Host in the SLCP ecosystem. Minimizing audit fatigue by simplifying the assessment process and delivering credible, actionable data is our focus, and with Retraced’s advanced data-driven platform, manufacturers and brands can seamlessly connect and share SLCP data. In turn, we hope this collaboration will save facilities further resources on redundant audits, supporting our ultimate goal of decent working conditions in global supply chains.” 

With the new integration in place, SLCP assessment data can be shared with Retraced via the SLCP Gateway and automatically synced to a supplier’s profile. Non-compliances are flagged, and next steps can be initiated. This creates a streamlined path toward issue resolution and performance improvement. In the coming months, these workflows will be further enhanced with AI-assisted corrective action planning, offering suggested actions and clear timelines that support collaborative follow-up. 

Manufacturers already working with Retraced are seeing the benefits. “At Décor, managing compliance across multiple customers used to mean juggling audits and repeated surveys,” said Michael Cai, Director of Operations and Supply Chains at Décor Global. “With Retraced now hosting our SLCP data, we will be able to share verified insights once and feel confident that our brand partners are seeing accurate, trusted information. It will definitely save us time and help everyone focus on improving working conditions, without all the manual work.”

This expanded integration comes at a time when global regulations are sharpening their focus on working conditions across supply chains. From the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive to emerging national laws, brands are under growing pressure to demonstrate that labor standards are met. Verified, shareable SLCP data in Retraced gives compliance and sourcing teams the evidence base they need to assess risk, act early, and collaborate with suppliers to improve working conditions in a meaningful, lasting way. 

Retraced CEO Lukas Puender will speak alongside SLCP COO Steve Harris and Michael Cai, Director of Operations and Supply Chains at Décor Global, at Cascale’s Annual Meeting in Hong Kong, taking place September 15–17. The panel, titled “How Verified Supplier Data Can Create Decent Work and Better Purchasing Practices,” will explore the real-world impact of the Retraced–SLCP integration. They will be joined by Stanley Jia, Associate Director in the Corporate Sustainability Department at Anta Sports, for a discussion on how verified data can strengthen supplier relationships and support responsible sourcing. 

Media inquiries: To schedule an interview with Lukas Puender or Steve Harris, please reach out directly. 

PR contact at Retraced: Sarolta Hershey, PR & Content Manager, sarolta.hershey@retraced.com, +49(0)176/24783764   

PR contact at SLCP: Holly Menezes, Senior Manager Strategic Communications, holly@slconvergence.org  

IAF, the world’s leading federation representing apparel manufacturers, SME brands, their associations, and the wider supply chain, brings a global network spanning over 100,000 companies across more than 40 countries. SLCP contributes deep technical expertise in implementing converged social and labor assessments. Together, the two organizations are aligning efforts to scale and strengthen solutions to streamline assessments and reduce audit duplication.

The collaboration opens up valuable opportunities to share critical industry knowledge and engage shared stakeholder bases. Key joint initiatives include alignment with platforms like the Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative (STTI) and the Standards Convergence Initiative (SCI), promoting further convergence and responsible purchasing practices.

Through ongoing strategic dialogue and coordinated communication that amplifies shared priorities across the industry, this partnership will help evolve the industry’s approach to social and labor assessments and drive impactful solutions. With aligned visions, SLCP and IAF are committed to shifting resources away from repetitive audits toward meaningful improvements in working conditions worldwide.

- Ivan Simsic-Babic, Data Scientist at SLCP

Assessment quality oversight is one of the biggest challenges facing the social auditing industry today. With social compliance assessments providing a snapshot in time of millions of workers in thousands of factories worldwide, it is not realistic to manually analyze all of them in depth.

This leaves the industry heavily relying on complaints and random testing to flag audits that need further review.  

The disproportionately large volume of assessments to the quality assurance resources available brings with it an interesting opportunity in the form of Artificial Intelligence. While it’s difficult and often impractical for a human investigator to deduce patterns across tens of thousands of assessments, Artificial Intelligence is designed to work with large quantities of data and can learn the patterns that define them efficiently. This allows investigators to focus their time and effort where it matters most, with AI helping them navigate the scale and complexity of the data.  

Here at SLCP, we recognized this opportunity and have spent the last 2.5 years developing a first-of-its kind AI model to help in our quality assurance program. This model has been running successfully since 2024 and has allowed us to turn the overwhelming quantity of assessment information into an advantage, learning patterns that help us spot assessments in need of further investigation and helping us learn about the industry as a whole. 

How does it work? 

 The information in SLCP assessments is hard to summarize with a few charts or figures unlike, e.g., financial assessments, where an investigator can see at a glance whether the big picture adds up before analyzing details.  

As we record specific information ranging from the number of buildings at a factory, to the labeling of hazardous chemicals and the presence of underage workers, it is hard to get a view of the general quality of an assessment at a glance. Even small errors could misrepresent critical information and hide serious risks for workers. Having a method to analyze all incoming assessments and highlight those at highest risk of quality issues is groundbreaking. It allows us to direct attention where it is most necessary and apply the same standard to every assessment, no matter where they were conducted or by whom.   

The AI model that we have developed to support our quality assurance program consists of three separate models that are trained on different aspects of the assessments, and each provides their own analysis of quality, ending up with a balanced and comprehensive metric: 

• One model analyzes questions individually,  

• one analyzes the assessments in their entirety, and  

• one scores assessments within clusters of similar factories. 

The models learn from existing assessment data, which is important because they essentially learn to understand and predict the way SLCP approved Verifiers typically perform the assessment verifications on-site. By understanding the patterns that the Verifiers define through their work, we can highlight those verifications that fall outside those patterns to the highest degree, meaning we use the Verifiers’ behavior to effectively define their own standard. This keeps the model purely objective, as it doesn’t learn to prioritize certain countries or kinds of factories, instead learning how the Verifiers do their job and what factors might indicate a verification of poor quality.   

Why is it useful? 

When the quality assurance model runs on a new batch of assessments, every assessment gets assigned a score from each of the three models, which are then put together to give a final ranking. This helps identify which assessments are most likely to contain quality issues. The model then generates a report for each of these assessments which gives an overview of each assessment, and details the reasons it was selected, highlighting the questions that have the highest likelihood of containing some issue and providing general details that help our quality reviewers understand the assessment. This allows our Data Quality and Integrity team to focus on the most highly ranked reports and confirm the presence of issues. By using the model as a supporting tool for our quality reviewers, we significantly cut down the amount of time and resources necessary to find quality issues in assessments.   

Nearly every assessment identified by the model has resulted in corrective action requests, helping us spot issues in a highly efficient and effective way. Also, the ability of the model to analyze large-scale patterns helps us gain insights about the global supply chain industry itself, highlighting connections between issues that previously seemed unconnected and now serve as indicators of quality.  

Conclusion 

The global supply chain industry concerns many millions of workers worldwide who supply most of the world with its daily needs. Despite this, the working conditions in these places are often poorly understood and recorded as a result of their international nature and the quantity of data involved. By applying modern techniques such as AI, we turn this huge amount of data into an advantage by letting it speak for itself and leading us to new insights about the industry that were previously not possible to achieve. Our model is the first of its kind - quality assurance in social/labor assessments is a challenging field because of the variety and quantity of data. At SLCP, we believe we’ve solved a part of this challenge by designing new technology that is specifically tailored to social/labor audits. We will continue to implement and refine our model as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure high quality social and labor data for our customers.  

———

Ivan is a data scientist with a specialization in Artificial Intelligence. He has experience in Machine Learning engineering and data analysis. At SLCP, Ivan is working on predictive analytics to identify quality and performance issues and create efficiencies in the data quality and integrity program.

- Annabel Meurs, Executive Director at Fair Wear

The garment and footwear industry has long been afflicted by audit fatigue, with organisations facing inefficiencies and frustration as excessive auditing requirements drain valuable resources.

As we know, these audits often fail to capture the full scope of human rights risks that a company’s activities can cause throughout its supply chain.

That’s why, in 2024, we formalised our collaboration with the Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) to reduce audit fatigue through data convergence – a significant step forward for more holistic, collaborative due diligence. Since then, we’ve proudly joined forces to promote industry alignment and engage with relevant policy developments that support our joint mission of improving supply chain working conditions. This partnership brings together SLCP’s Converged Assessment Framework (CAF) – a high-quality, standardised dataset – and Fair Wear’s risk scoping tool, designed to identify and address labour-related risks and harms across garment supply chains.

Our shared priority has been to reduce audit fatigue by encouraging industry-wide adoption of existing data to support impactful and practical Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) implementation. We’re pleased to share that this shared approach is already beginning to bear fruit. 

Driving alignment through benchmarking assessments 

To explore how our data could be used together, we first ran a pilot using a small number of assessments. Encouraged by its success, this work expanded into a detailed benchmarking exercise comparing the SLCP CAF (v1.5 and v1.6) with Fair Wear’s framework of potential and actual harms. 

This mapping process was both extensive and methodical. The team worked issue by issue to determine where questions in the CAF could be matched to specific issues tracked by Fair Wear. In many cases, a strong link was found, enabling SLCP data to contribute to the identification of potential harms. These findings now inform Fair Wear’s HRDD Hub, supporting brands with evidence-based decision making and guidance on how to effectively address identified supply chain issues. 

Key collaboration outcomes to-date 

For several countries, SLCP’s aggregate-level data can now be used to inform the likelihood of potential harms in Fair Wear’s HRDD Hub. These country profiles already draw from a wide range of triangulated sources, including human rights reports, national indices, Fair Wear assessments, and multi-stakeholder input. SLCP’s data adds an important new layer, particularly for countries where Fair Wear does not have its own country-teams, strengthening the relevance of the profiles. This is a huge milestone, as it enables brands to commit to more thorough, rigorous due diligence. 

At the factory level, Fair Wear member brands can also integrate data from external assessments into the HRDD Hub. This includes sharing SLCP assessment results, when available, directly into the system. These results can then be used as part of the brand’s HRDD efforts at individual factories. By linking external data with Fair Wear’s facilitation tools – such as our onsite modular assessments and validation assessments – brands are better equipped to respond to findings in a more targeted way. These additions strengthen the HRDD process and support brands in making more informed, responsible decisions. It’s a practical step towards more effective action. 

What’s next? 

This collaboration is an important step towards reducing duplication and enabling more coordinated approaches to HRDD implementation across the industry. In the months ahead, we will: 

• Continue scaling the use of SLCP aggregate data across Fair Wear’s HRDD Hub country profiles 

• Continue encouraging brands to prevent duplication and address audit fatigue 

• Build on shared efforts to advance impactful HRDD implementation throughout the sector 

Fair Wear and SLCP remain committed to supporting brands and stakeholders in driving systemic change in global garment supply chains. By working together, we can help ensure that data is used not just for compliance, but to drive tangible impact for the people who make our clothes. We’re excited by the progress of this collaboration thus far, and we look forward to what’s ahead! 

To strengthen this role, SLCP is introducing a new Verifier Body (VB) selection model, launching by the end of Q1 2026, that helps facilities make more informed, performance-driven choices when selecting VBs.  

Why are we making this change? 

Previously, facilities have had the freedom to choose from all available VBs in their country or region. Based on feedback from brands, signatories, and other stakeholders, SLCP is implementing a new approach to VB selection.   

Facilities no longer need to gather information on VB performance themselves, as was done under the previous model. Now, all the necessary information is available directly in the selection list, providing easy data access and greater transparency.  

What’s new in the VB selection model? 

• Data-driven VB selection list: With the new model, facilities will choose from a pre-approved list of VBs. The pre-approved list is technology-driven, with an algorithm that filters and ranks VBs based on their quality performance score.   

• Displaying VB quality scores information: In the pre-approved list, facilities will be able to see information on the quality performance of each VB. The VB quality information will determine if a VB is included on the VB selection list. (High performing VBs will always be displayed, while Medium and Low performing VBs will have a lower chance to be displayed in the selection list).  

• VB rotation requirement: Facilities will no longer be allowed to select the same VB in consecutive years (except in rare situations where alternatives aren't available). This ensures diverse perspectives and helps avoid potential conflicts of interest.  

• Verifier Rotation: VBs will no longer be allowed to select the same Verifier who conducted their last verification. 

How does the VB quality scoring model work? 

A VB’s performance plays a key role in determining if the VB appears on the facility’s selection list. The VB Quality Score is how SLCP determines high-performing VBs.  

The VB Quality Score ranges from 0 to 5, with 5 being the highest. It’s based on three key components:  

• VB Management System Scores

• Weighted Average of Verifier Quality Scores (Individual VEQS)

• Issue-to-Verification Ratio (i.e., how often quality issues are reported over verifications performed) 

Most importantly, the model includes  penalties for specific types of mistakes, with increased penalties for repeat mistakes. This means that consistent errors will significantly lower a VB’s score. This system rewards continuous improvement, and it ensures top-performing VBs make it onto the selection list. 

Why do these changes matter? 

The new selection model shifts the focus to accountability. When facilities choose VBs based on performance, it encourages all VBs to improve their quality of verifications and consistency in performance. The result is better data quality, greater transparency, reduced bias and conflict of interest, and increased trust in SLCP assessments. 

What’s next? 

The new selection model will be fully implemented by the end of Q1 of 2026. The models were approved by the Data Quality and Integrity Technical Advisory Committee in June 2025, and the changes were presented to all VBs. 

If you have any questions or require further clarification, please reach out to SLCP via our Helpdesk. 

We are pleased to have wrapped up a successful series of facility training webinars, reaching over 1,800 attendees in Bangla, Chinese, English, Spanish, and Turkish!

The sessions featured country-specific guidance on completing SLCP’s Converged Assessment Framework (CAF), including how to interpret and accurately respond to questions, and how to avoid common mistakes.

Missed a session or want to review the material?

The recordings and slide decks from all sessions can be found on our Helpdesk.

Solutions that drive industry-wide collaboration and prioritize the needs of suppliers are essential to enhancing scalable human rights due diligence practices. That's why we're very proud to announce that over 8000 active SLCP facilities are matched to OS IDs and listed on @Open Supply Hub.

What does this mean?

1. If you need information about a supplier who has completed an SLCP assessment, you can find it on OS Hub, using the OS ID

2. In reverse, you can also search SLCP's public facility list using the OS ID and request access to their assessment details directly.

3. Stakeholders no longer have to manually figure out if the supplier name matches between organizations!

As more and more SLCP facilities adopt OS IDs, the interoperability of our dataset and the ability to combine it with other rich tools and services becomes increasingly more streamlined.

Find SLCP’s list on Open Supply Hub here.

Read more about our collaboration with OS Hub here.

In 2024, over 10,000 SLCP assessments were completed, impacting an estimated 7.3 million workers worldwide. By enabling facilities to share their SLCP data with multiple stakeholders, a single SLCP assessment can replace multiple redundant and resource-intensive audits. In 2024, the sharing of SLCP assessments unlocked a potential of $39m USD for reinvestment in improving working conditions, a 39 per cent increase year-on-year.

Facilities are sharing their SLCP assessments more than ever, with each 2024 assessment shared an average of nearly 3 times, up 16 per cent compared to 2023. 2024 data also shows that continued use of the CAF over time can support facilities to identify and ultimately reduce their number of legal non-compliances, resulting in workplace improvements. This supports SLCP’s theory of change that facility data ownership drives decent work.

Additionally, growing adoption of the CAF, coupled with enhancements to the Data Collection Tool have enabled SLCP to generate deeper data insights this year from our aggregate facility data. For example, the CAF now includes deeper and more meaningful gender-related data points. This highlights the potential for aggregate SLCP data to identify trends and inform policy making.

Key data insights from the report include:

• Overtime working hours continue to be a prominent issue in SLCP facilities. By examining a correlation between excessive working hours and other factors in the CAF, we found that there was a strong correlation with the use of subcontractors in a facility, and with workers’ wages based on legal requirements rather than a living wage (p. 18-19).

• While excessive overtime working hours remains the top two legal non-compliances in 2024, over half of the legal non-compliances in SLCP assessments are now linked to the Wages and Benefits section of the CAF (p. 16-17).

• Although women make up 59 per cent of the workforce, men occupy 67 per cent of the supervisory or managerial positions in SLCP facilities, with 35 per cent of total facilities paying men more than women in the same or similar positions (p. 22-28).

The report also highlights SLCP’s collaborations and policy work, including engagement with partners, stakeholders, and other multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs). As SLCP represents just one part of the broader effort to improve working conditions, meaningful progress depends on collective action and strong collaboration across the industry.

Quote attributed to Janet Mensink, CEO:

“We’re seeing clear evidence that our vision and mission are being realized, with users of the CAF making tangible improvements to working conditions that are being reflected in assessments the following years.

“But there’s still much more work to be done in the industry. Our aggregate facility data shows that 92 per cent of assessments in 2024 included at least one non-compliance against the national labor law. This is why our work continues to be so critical – in the policy space, through collaboration with stakeholders, and in the growing adoption of SLCP. Together, we can continue to drive meaningful change.”

Quote attributed to Michael Cai, Chair of the Supervisory Board:

“Improvements in legal non-compliances over time is very promising to see. These improvements mean that the CAF is supporting manufacturers to perform better, essentially helping us meet our own goals to provide safer working conditions, improving both wellbeing and productivity.”

For all media enquiries, please email holly@slconvergence.org

Solutions updated today will deliver greater transparency on credible, actionable social and labor compliance data to drive decent working conditions in global supply chains. Cascale's Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (Higg FSLM) and the Converged Assessment Framework (CAF) from the Social and Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) address systemic labor challenges and advance fair working conditions across global supply chains, while minimizing audit fatigue for manufacturers and suppliers. 

SLCP has updated its CAF with a new version (1.7), further enhancing the ability to provide credible and actionable social and labor compliance data. The Higg FSLM is built on SLCP’s CAF, and is part of Cascale's Higg Index suite of tools, which are exclusively available on Worldly, the leading supply chain sustainability data insights platform.

“The Higg FSLM is a critical tool underpinning Cascale's Support Decent Work for All strategic pillar, through which we aim to champion workers' rights, ensure fair purchasing practices, and streamline audits to foster safe and equitable workplaces,” said Jeremy Lardeau, SVP of Higg Index at Cascale. “Especially at a time when tariffs highlight the fragility of global supply chains, these tools are critically important.  When companies use a common benchmark to measure and improve performance, they build efficiencies that reduce audit fatigue and, ultimately, save time and money."

Janet Mensink, CEO of SLCP, commented: “This update is part of our multi-year CAF roadmap, designed to ensure that the Converged Assessment Framework remains both relevant and scalable in an evolving regulatory environment. Version 1.7 introduces enhancements that will not only maintain high-quality reports and provide credible, actionable data, but also better align with emerging human rights due diligence standards. The new version also includes features that make it easier to identify and address social and labor issues, enabling facilities to share critical findings with brands during the assessment, rather than waiting for a final report.” 

"Behind every supply chain are real people whose working conditions define the integrity of global businesses," said Adele Stafford, Chief Growth Officer, Worldly. "With standardized assessments like the Converged Assessment Framework in the Higg Facility Social & Labor Module, companies get a clearer picture of risk — but visibility alone isn’t enough. Worldly turns that data into action, helping businesses proactively improve working conditions, protect workers' rights, and strengthen their supply chains for the long term.”

“Adopting the CAF and Higg FSLM has been a good addition to our ecosystem,” said Khawaja Faheem Uddin, GM Systems & Compliance at Artistic Milliners Private Limited. “By streamlining our compliance processes and consolidating requirements, we’ve saved time and resources while still meeting rigorous industry standards. These tools not only support us in upholding decent work for our 17,500+ employees but also enable us to build stronger partnerships with our brand customers through greater transparency and accountability. We believe that it is a good beginning, and we should continue to improve the system collectively.”

Ray Zhang, global social compliance manager at Avery Dennison, commented, “The Higg FSLM/CAF have helped us significantly reduce audit duplication—hundreds of unnecessary audits avoided globally in the past few years. Beyond streamlining compliance, the tools enhance visibility into our supply chain, empower suppliers to manage their own social performance, and allow us to focus our resources where they matter most: building capacity and improving working conditions.”

Alongside the CAF update, SLCP is expanding verifications to 44 new countries and offering tool translations in additional languages for the self-assessment process. The CAF will now be available in Latin American Spanish, as well as already existing translations of English, Chinese, Turkish, and Vietnamese. 

The Higg FSLM CAF v1.7 update enhances alignment with due diligence and governance requirements, ensuring a more standardized and structured approach to social and labor performance assessments while enhancing supply chain transparency in the consumer goods industry, making businesses more resilient and avoiding hidden risk. This structured approach enables facilities to systematically identify, address, and mitigate critical issues, reinforcing worker rights, well-being, and assess overall working conditions. Additionally, it more clearly identifies non-compliances across the data and aligns with Better Work Zero Tolerance Protocols and ILO Core Conventions, ensuring consistency with global labor standards.

The CAF and the Higg FSLM are updated annually by SLCP, Cascale, and Worldly in response to stakeholder feedback, ensuring relevance and improved functionality.

Find out more about what’s changed in CAF v1.7

Find out more about Worldly here

Find out more about Cascale here

March 25, 2025 – Inspectorio and the Social and Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) are proud to announce a new partnership between the two organizations. Inspectorio, a leading AI-powered SaaS platform driving sustainable supply chain solutions, is now a Passive Accredited Host for SLCP, providing a platform for receiving and analyzing verified SLCP social and labor assessments. This accreditation marks a significant step forward in Inspectorio's ongoing commitment to promoting transparency, sustainability, and responsible sourcing within global supply chains. 

SLCP provides a Converged Assessment Framework (CAF) for assessing social and labor conditions, providing credible and actionable data that can be shared with multiple users. This helps brands and manufacturers reduce audit fatigue, and channel resources more effectively towards meaningful improvements. 

Chirag Patel, CEO of Inspectorio, emphasized his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating: "Becoming a Passive Accredited Host for SLCP reaffirms our mission to enable greater transparency and sustainability across supply chains. This collaboration allows our clients to seamlessly integrate SLCP verified data into our platform, further enhancing their ability to drive responsible sourcing and positive social impacts." 

Janet Mensink, CEO of SLCP, commented: "We're very excited to welcome Inspectorio as a Passive Accredited Host in our Tech eco-system. This will support our vision to advance decent work in global supply chains. Our mission is to reduce audit duplication by streamlining assessments and providing credible and actionable data.  With Inspectorio’s innovative, technology-driven approach, manufacturers and brands will be able to find a way to share and use SLCP assessment data that suits their needs. Together, we can amplify our collective impact and accelerate meaningful change." 

Inspectorio's clients will now be able to leverage SLCP verified data within Inspectorio's robust platform, facilitating easier access to trusted social and labor information, enabling data analytics and interpretation, optimizing decision-making, and advancing sustainability initiatives. 

This accreditation underscores Inspectorio's dedication to partnering with globally recognized initiatives, reinforcing its position as an industry leader committed to driving meaningful change in supply chain practices. 

For more information, visit Inspectorio.com or slconvergence.org. 

Last week, SLCP signed a joint statement urging EU policymakers to consider adapting the Omnibus proposal for better risk management and worker and environmental protection.

Today, SLCP is sharing our own positioning, reaffirming that simplification of compliance requirements should not just be about efficiency. Rather, it should be about keeping legislation in line with original objectives, and avoiding implementation delays.

While SLCP’s mission and vision remains relevant to the current Omnibus proposal – as the Converged Assessment Framework (CAF) aims primarily to reduce audit duplication and create efficiencies – some of the changes in the Omnibus proposal are deeply concerning to SLCP, and risk leading to further market fragmentation and ongoing legal uncertainty for supply chain actors.

SLCP calls on the following points in the Omnibus proposal to be revisited by EU policymakers:

1. Need for risk-based due diligence

2. Call for a level playing field by including indirect business partners

3. Consistency on the scope of direct business partners

4. Clarity on what qualifies as ‘plausible evidence’

5. Need for sector specific standards and guidance as highlighted in the Handbook for Due Diligence Implementation in the Textiles sector.

6. Significant reduction in monitoring expectations increasing likelihood of ineffective due diligence efforts

7. Aligning limits to SME information requests with existing verified broad social assessment tools

8. Promotion of companies going beyond minimum compliance, creating a race to the top rather than a box-ticking exercise. 

The European Parliament and EU Council must ensure that simplification does not compromise the positive impact the original CSDDD and CSRD would have had on workers in the supply chain. It is crucial to keep in mind the investment the industry has already made towards compliance with existing frameworks.

SLCP has conducted comprehensive tool alignment activities to ensure that the CAF is aligned with the CSDDD and CSRD. These alignment activities will continue, with a focus on further integrating Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) frameworks, which are consistent with these Directives, as well as OECD Guidelines and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).

SLCP is pleased to announce that we have partnered with the International Trade Centre (ITC) to integrate our facility data into the Certified Business Registry (CBR). The CBR enables facilities to be listed on a public database with certified sustainability credentials – making it easier for everyone to meet due diligence requirements, and encouraging new business opportunities to build a more transparent supply chain.

What is the Certified Business Registry (CBR)?

CBR is a global, publicly accessible platform developed by ITC to centralize verified sustainability credentials of businesses. It serves as a trusted source of sustainability data for brands, retailers, and industry stakeholders. ITC works with multiple sustainability initiatives to build a registry with accurate and up to date information about suppliers’ sustainability credentials by linking the CBR directly with sustainability initiatives databases.

A Thriving Global Community

By joining ITC’s Certified Business Registry SLCP facilities become part of a rapidly expanding global network of over 30,000 textile and apparel facilities with publicly accessible sustainability credentials.

This collective transparency fosters greater trust across the industry and supports responsible sourcing decisions. It enables facilities to connect with international buyers and brands that prioritize sustainability, creating new business opportunities and strengthening their reputation as responsible manufacturers.

Additionally, as global sustainability regulations evolve, a public listing on CBR helps facilities stay ahead of compliance requirements, making it easier for brands to meet due diligence obligations. This integration represents a significant step towards industry-wide accountability and alignment with best practices, helping to build a more transparent and resilient supply chain.

SLCP is committed to continuing our partnership with ITC and supports initiatives to improve the way sustainability data is shared. Through the CBR, we hope to encourage transparency and accountability in the textile and apparel industry.

For any questions, contact us on info@slconvergence.org or reach out to ITC.

The organisations welcome the European Commission’s efforts to simplify due diligence requirements and ease the burden on European businesses. However, this simplification should not come at the cost of weakening due diligence. They stress that the current proposal does just that – while also creating unintended consequences for risk management, increasing unpredictability and complexity, and ultimately adding to corporate burden and costs.

Key recommendations to EU policymakers:

1. CSDDD: Proportionate and risk-based approach must be preserved

   The current Omnibus proposal weakens due diligence obligations by restricting them to direct suppliers (unless a company has plausible information about indirect partners). By shifting responsibility to a reactive approach, whereby in-depth assessments only occur after a potential harm is flagged, the proposal could lead to higher remediation costs compared to a proactive, prevention-focused risk-based approach grounded in the UNGPs and OECD Guidelines.

   Effective risk management makes business sense:

   Major risks in global supply chains often lie beyond direct suppliers. Effective due diligence is continuous; it is not a periodic check on select suppliers. Arbitrary limitations increase business risks and costs, whereas deeper supply chain knowledge and effective risk management improves preparedness and resilience.

   Undermining stakeholder engagement:

   Removing national human rights and environmental institutions and civil society organisations from mandatory stakeholder engagement will weaken companies’ ability to implement appropriate prevention and remediation plans. Leaving these groups out of the process will mean missing out essential expertise and knowledge that only they can provide.

2. CSDDD: Harmonised enforcement for more legal certainty

   Having EU-wide mandatory due diligence legislation should bring increased clarity of expectations and, overall, greater legal certainty for businesses. The current proposal poses the risk of a fragmented litigation landscape. The organisations call for the original enforcement mechanisms to remain intact, keeping the level playing field and ensuring legal clarity.

3. CSRD: Invested businesses need certainty

   Narrowing the scope of the CSRD will exclude 80% of companies currently subject to it, undermining the efforts of those companies that have been preparing for reporting under the CSRD - now confronted with legal uncertainties and internal struggles.

   In addition, the Omnibus proposal aims to limit the "trickle-down effects" on non-reporting companies. By doing so, it risks disrupting alignment with other EU regulations, which require companies to engage with suppliers and collect value chain data.

Ultimately, the organisations believe that simplifying due diligence and reporting requirements can be achieved without moving away from the spirit of international standards. The organisations call on co-legislators to engage with them to make the simplification exercise both effective and meaningful.

To enhance each other’s work and amplify impact, SLCP has extended its collaboration with the Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). This agreement continues SLCP’s role as GFA’s Impact Partner, working together to foster more respectful and secure working environments in the fashion industry.

Together, SLCP and GFA are committed to enabling both organizations to achieve shared goals, align activities, and maximize industry participation and awareness on social sustainability.

GFA acknowledges SLCP as a principal industry expert in the social impact solution field. With SLCP’s insights, data, and perspectives, SLCP can contribute to GFA’s work on the topic of Respectful and Secure Work Environments, one of the five priorities of GFA. GFA’s convening and communicative power to raise awareness and mobilise the industry to take sustainable actions towards becoming Net Positive reflects SLCP’s broader mission and vision for the industry, and we seek to amplify GFA’s messaging.

Key objectives of the partnership include:

• Providing industry context, mapping stakeholders, and showcasing case studies and solutions.

• Defining targets and KPIs, establishing industry benchmarks, and tracking progress using credible data.

• Prioritizing and consolidating actionable steps with clear implementation guidance.

• Aligning communication efforts across reports, events, messaging, and outreach channels.

• Identifying opportunities for collective action while amplifying existing initiatives.

This collaboration will continue to drive alignment in industry terminology and framing, enhance stakeholder engagement, and broaden outreach. Together, SLCP and GFA aim to strengthen their respective networks, increase awareness, and encourage greater industry participation in their programs and events.

The CS3D represents a landmark development in the European Union’s approach to responsible business conduct, transitioning voluntary expectations into binding legal obligations for companies operating within and beyond the EU. By mandating human rights and environmental due diligence, the Directive aims to create a level playing field, enhance supply chain traceability, and promote sustainable corporate strategies.

We recognise the challenges faced by complying companies and supply chain actors, as highlighted in this paper. These include market fragmentation, supply chain complexities, collecting credible data and actionable data at scale and the need for meaningful stakeholder engagement. Addressing these issues requires collective action from policymakers, businesses, civil society, and workers. As organisations committed to advancing sustainability and social responsibility in the textile industry, we emphasise the need for collaboration to ensure the effective implementation of the CS3D

We call on all stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue and proactive measures to support due diligence frameworks that are robust, inclusive, and enforceable. Policy Hub and the Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) remain dedicated to facilitating industry-wide alignment to understand CS3D’s impact on the textile sector and its implications for EU and global companies.

Read the article here: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12027-024-00816-6

For further information, please contact:

Policy Hub - Circularity for Apparel & Footwear, Marina Prados Espínola

Social & Labor Convergence Program, Tom Mason

For media enquiries: info@slconvergence.org

The EU Commission is expected to present the Omnibus legislation in the coming weeks, aiming to enhance Europe's competitiveness and streamline key sustainability regulations. This package is likely to include changes to the EU Taxonomy, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) – all of which form the backbone of Europe’s sustainability framework. 

As discussions progress, these organisations reaffirm their strong support for a robust and pragmatic implementation of the EU Sustainability due diligence framework. They stress the need for legal certainty and a level playing field across global supply chains. 

Safeguarding Progress: A Call for Stability and Legal Certainty

The joint statement reflects the organisations' years of experience in supporting businesses as they integrate ESG due diligence into their supply chains.

"The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, as adopted, is a milestone that will scale up due diligence efforts and reinforce alignment with international standards such as the OECD Guidelines, the UN Guiding Principles (UNGPs), and ILO Conventions,” the joint statement reads.

Key Recommendations to the European Commission

The signatory organisations call on the European Commission to: 

• Ensure a pragmatic and effective implementation of the EU Sustainability Due Diligence Framework

• Provide legal certainty, enabling businesses to operate effectively within the EU market and ensuring global trading partners can confidently engage with EU businesses

• Avoid deregulation under the guise of moving “bolder, simpler, faster,” as this could weaken sustainability commitments

The 11 organisations remain committed to supporting businesses as they navigate due diligence obligations and continue advocating for a balanced, legally sound, and future-proof sustainability framework.

This practical document provides an overview of the textile industry’s existing tools, instruments, formats and guidance, and identifies the gaps where further clarification is needed. In particular, the document: 

• maps key learnings from ongoing implementation efforts 

• identifies areas where further work or clarification is necessary to ensure efficient and effective compliance with the CSDDD requirements 

• assesses the realities of the textile sector and the issues to be taken into account for a practical and effective implementation of due diligence  

• supports the exercise of developing the general CSDDD guidelines and accompanying measures 

By collaborating on this initiative, the Policy Hub, the Social and Labor Convergence Program, Fair Wear Foundation, and amfori reaffirm their commitment to a robust human rights and environmental due diligence framework.  

The organisations remain committed to working alongside the European Commission to ensure that the forthcoming guidelines are fit for purpose for the textile industry based on existing efforts and gaps. 

Quote attributed to Janet Mensink, CEO, Social & Labor Convergence Program: 

"We are very excited to collaborate with key industry stakeholders in co-authoring this Handbook. The Textile industry faces a number of unique challenges that need to be on the radar of the European Commission as they develop the CSDDD guidelines. This includes duplication of social and labor audits in factories, wasting time and resources that could be better spent on improving working conditions. 

The CSDDD Handbook stands as an excellent source of information to guide policymakers towards practical, effective and comprehensive guidelines. We look forward to continuing to highlight the needs of manufacturers through data-driven insights, to ensure CSDDD implementation is not only efficient but also effective for the industry." 

Quote attributed to Alexander Kohnstamm, Executive Director, Fair Wear:   

“Fair Wear is very proud to be among the contributors to this Handbook. It provides a firm starting point of excellent initiatives and organisations working tirelessly to engage rightsholders' voices and improve conditions along global garment supply chains through practical and impactful due diligence. We are aware that this is not a comprehensive overview of all efforts on human rights due diligence. We view this as an invitation to all concerned to engage in this process and jointly contribute to efficient and effective guidelines.” 

Quote attributed to Marina Prados Espinola, Co-Director, Policy Hub: 

“The handbook demonstrates the importance of collaboration and dialogue among sector stakeholders to foster a holistic understanding of the textile value chain and the diverse perspectives that must be considered when implementing a framework like the CSDDD. We are proud of the work accomplished and its contribution as a valuable resource for the practical implementation of obligations, grounded in the technical realities and expertise of various stakeholders. Due diligence relies on meaningful conversations that reflect the multiplicity of realities—a principle that underpins the development of this handbook. The dialogue must continue in order to further advance the representation and deepening of all the realities of the global textile value chain.” 

Quote attributed to Linda Kromjong, amfori President:   

“amfori believes that industry and multi-stakeholder initiatives play a critical role in supporting companies to effectively exercise ESG due diligence. In times of political uncertainty collaboration remains key – a central approach to amfori’s mission since the launch of amfori BSCI in 2003, where over 2,400 companies worldwide work together. Jointly, we can ensure that ESG due diligence efforts are practical, impactful, and aligned with stakeholders’ needs across industries. This Handbook emphasizes our commitment to contributing to this collective action.”