On June 25, 2025, Cascale joined policymakers, industry leaders, and sustainability experts in Brussels for the official launch of the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for Apparel and Footwear — a groundbreaking step toward a unified approach to measuring environmental impact across the sector.

The event, hosted at the Sofitel Brussels Hotel, marked the successful completion of a five-year, multi-stakeholder initiative. With formal approval from both the Technical Secretariat and the European Commission, the PEFCR now stands as the most advanced and harmonized life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology for the apparel and footwear industry. It is poised to serve as a key building block for forthcoming EU regulations such as the Green Claims Directive and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.

Cascale has played a central role in the development of the PEFCR for Apparel & Footwear, serving as Coordinator of the Technical Secretariat since 2019.

Following a keynote from Emmanuelle Maire, Head of Unit for Circular Economy, Sustainable Production & Consumption at DG ENVI, European Commission, Andrew Martin, executive vice president at Cascale, delivered a welcome address, highlighting the scale of collaboration between industry, civil society, and policymakers that made the PEFCR possible. He also emphasized the importance of ensuring that the PEFCR continues to evolve, guided by robust data and aligned with meaningful environmental progress.

The event also featured a panel moderated by Cascale’s senior director for policy & public affairs, Elisabeth von Reitzenstein. Panelists from the European Commission, Policy Hub, and ECOS discussed the regulatory roadmap and how the PEFCR framework will help shape credible, science-based claims for products in the EU market, despite the recent uncertainties around the Green Claims Directives.

Cascale’s leadership in this process reflects its long-standing commitment to advancing environmental performance in the apparel and footwear sector. From convening global stakeholders to aligning industry tools, such as the Higg Index, with PEF standards, Cascale is proud to support a more transparent, data-driven approach to product sustainability.

To learn more about Cascale’s work on the PEFCR for Apparel & Footwear, click here.

Following the event, Cascale, in collaboration with Worldly, published a policy deep dive titled “One Market, Two Systems – What PEFCR and France’s Environmental Cost Mean for Apparel & Footwear.” This publication explores two emerging regulatory frameworks — the EU’s PEFCR and France’s Environmental Cost (Coût Environnemental) — both of which are poised to shape product-level environmental disclosures across Europe. The piece outlines key differences, implications, and what brands, manufacturers, and suppliers need to know to navigate these evolving requirements. Download the full publication here.