Sustainable and ESG practices in the fashion industry and their growing importance in the face of a more attentive and demanding consumer, were the subject of a debate held by the Chamber of Commerce in Bogotá, Colombia. Participating in the digital event, on the 12th, were the project manager of the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados), Cristian Schlindwein; the director and editor of Global Fashion (Spain), Maite Ruiz-Atela; the Marketing Manager of Lycra Company for Brazil and Colombia, Maria Luiza Amaro; and the co-founder of Closeando, clothing e-commerce site in Venezuela, Edwin Alvarado. 

Stressing the importance of building, in the world, effective sustainable shoe production chains and acting in accordance with the precepts of ESG, Schlindwein spoke about Sustainable Origin, the only sustainability and ESG certification for shoe companies and their input suppliers in the world. "Brazil is a major global player, the largest producer of footwear outside Asia, and we are committed to guiding companies towards an increasingly sustainable production not only in the environmental dimension, but also social, economic and cultural,” he said. 

According to Schlindwein, in order to avoid “greenwashing”, when companies present environmentally friendly products but without having an effectively sustainable production process, Sustainable Origin relies on audits by independent and highly credible bodies. "The Brazilian footwear industry is one of the most sustainable in the world, especially when we take into account Asian producers, the world's leading shoe manufacturers. However, we know that there is a path to be threaded, not only in increasing sustainability initiatives, but also in terms of their communication in Brazil and abroad,” he added.

Based on the best international sustainability practices, Sustainable Origin follows the guideline of 104 indicators distributed in five dimensions: economic, environmental, social, cultural and sustainability management. Currently there are more than 90 participating footwear and components companies, among these 45 already certified. More information can be seen on the website www.origemsustentavel.org.br and on social media @origem.sustentavel.