Cotton Sustainability Insetting
Make meaningful change in your cotton supply chain by investing in clean energy and farmer livelihoods to build resilience against the climate crisis.
Fashion & textiles need new solutions
Each year the fashion & textile industry emits 2 giga tonnes of greenhouse gas. Much of this is at the farm level where natural fibres like cotton are grown for clothing and textiles. There are millions of smallholder farmers responsible for growing these natural fibres, and these farmers are among the most vulnerable populations to climate change. Fashion & textiles need new solutions to ensure the wellbeing if natural fibre producers while addressing climate impact.
What is insetting?
Insetting is a novel solution that enables fashion & textile companies to invest directly into their supply chains. Pilio and our partners SAMA^Verte have developed an insetting solution for brands sourcing cotton produced in South Asia.
Cotton for textiles & apparel from South Asian farming communities.
Environment & livelihood investments from European companies.
The case for clean energy
Our Cotton Sustainability Insetting solution prioritises clean energy access. Why? Because reliable access to energy is a basic need that many smallholder farmers lack. Energy access is an enabler of social and environmental benefits companies care about. It enables the use of fans and refrigeration to combat extreme heat, creates green jobs, benefits women who are more often in the home, and has a co-benefit of decarbonising your company’s supply chain.
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Solar Microgrids
Clean energy for cotton farmer households. These microgrids enable reliable access to fans, connectivity and refridgration which are paramount to the health and safety of communities but are often inaccessible due to unreliable access to grid energy.
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Clean Energy Dhabas
Dhabas are the community shops servicing the farming communities. Solar powered shops enable shopkeepers to refrigerate cold drinks even on Pakistan's hottest days. Key hubs, these dhabas can demonstrate the benefits of adopting clean energy to the community.
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Clean Cookstoves
Women in farming communities are often responsible for the cooking. While traditional cookstoves produce a lot of smoke, clean cookstoves can present a healthier alternative. Powered by pellets made from cotton stalk waste.
Enhancing biodiversity
Nature is intertwined with cotton production. A thriving and diverse ecosystem contributes to the productivity and resilience of the cotton crop, and enables the health and wellbeing of the cotton growing community. Our solution includes nature interventions both on-farm and off-farm, ensuring a holistic approach to biodiversity protection and enhancement.
Insetting in action
We’ve implemented our solution on the ground with pioneering sustainable period product brand DAME. We’ve worked with DAME to tailor a solution that meets the clean energy needs of a farming community in Pakistan which is aligned to their company’s values of supporting gender equity.
Cotton Sustainability Insetting in 2025
We’re inviting fashion & textile companies to work with us to develop high-impact energy access projects in the cotton farming regions of Pakistan that meet the needs of companies and farmers. Through 2025 we’ll embark on an Insetting Catalyst journey with companies interested in pioneering innovative solutions and enabling real change on the ground in their supply chains.
Learn more about our Cotton Sustainability Insetting Knowledge Exchange
Interested to learn more about Cotton Sustainability Insetting and how your company could be involved in our Insetting Catalyst programme in 2025? We hosted a knowledge exchange on the 27th of November 2024 where our team and experts in the insetting and energy finance space spoke.
Get involved
Interested to see how Pilio’s Cotton Sustainability Insetting solution could meet your company’s sustainability objectives? Contact us today to start your journey to invest in people and planet in your supply chain.