Theory named among winners of Textile Exchange's Climate and Nature Awards

Textile Exchange has named Theory, the fashion label owned by Fast Retailing, among the winners of its 2026 Climate and Nature Impact Awards, recognising a project that reduced methane emissions from sheep used in wool production.

Theory won the Collaboration for Global Impact Award alongside Congi Farm in Australia, environmental technology company Sea Forest and Italian wool mill Botto Giuseppe. Their project tested SeaFeed, a feed supplement designed to reduce methane emissions, on 2,000 Merino sheep over 120 days.

The pilot achieved a 43 percent reduction in enteric methane emissions, avoiding approximately 54.5 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). The resulting wool was incorporated into Theory’s spring 2026 Regal Wool collection, connecting farm-level climate innovation with finished fashion products.

In a statement, Gonzalo Pertile, vice president of sustainability at Theory, said: “The results of the pilot were encouraging, but perhaps even more important were the lessons we learned together regarding implementation, measurement, traceability, cost, and scalability.”

He added: “We hope this project inspires others to test new approaches, collaborate across supply chain tiers, and accelerate the transition toward lower-emission and more resilient natural fiber systems.”

The awards were presented at Textile Exchange’s annual conference in Vancouver, where initiatives supporting more regenerative and equitable raw material production were honoured.

Other winners included Green Worms founder Jabir Karat, recognised for circular waste management; Amiha Agro’s Amitabh Singh, for regenerative cotton farming; and the Circulose Recycling Ecosystem, for scaling textile-to-textile recycling through partnerships between brands and fibre producers.

Environmental solutions company Pur received the Removing Economic Barriers Award for its regenerative wool programmes. Since 2020, its model has supported 16 producers across almost 17,000 hectares and mobilised 350,000 US dollars in direct implementation funding.

Hannah Crone, animal fibres lead at Pur, said the award validated its belief that "producers should not be expected to carry the cost and risk of transition" of scaling regenerative agriculture alone.

Crone continued: "Regenerative transition can move beyond individual pilots when the economics work for everyone involved. We are especially grateful to the brands willing to invest for the long term, and to the producers who are implementing and co-investing in change on the ground. Their commitment is what makes these models possible.”

Textile Exchange chief executive officer Claire Bergkamp said the winners demonstrated what was possible when “innovation, collaboration, and a shared commitment to change come together”.