Founder of Vert Science, Haley Boyd, is building a solution that gives fashion brands the visibility and actionable insights to decarbonize their supply chain and produce net zero emissions apparel.
We caught up to hear her thoughts on the challenges in the industry, what inspired her to create Vert Science along with her tips and tricks for brands looking to make a positive impact.
(FibreTrace) What problems in the industry does Vert Science address or solve?
(Haley/Vert Science) The first is that we help fashion brands measure environmental impacts with unprecedented precision. Until now, impact accounting tools have provided brands with high level estimates using generalized, inaccurate data. That approach is helpful when estimating how much to invest in offsets. But actually reducing the carbon emissions directly from your supply chain requires you to know in great detail where the emissions come from. Providing granular, accurate measurement requires direct supplier involvement.
We work closely with suppliers to measure their processes, which unlocks the ability to take action and reduce impacts. We are aligning brands and their suppliers to collaboratively set and meet climate targets.
(FibreTrace) What is the inspiration/key concern that birthed Vert Science?
(Haley/Vert Science) For about ten years, I owned a fashion brand, and I’m a bit embarrassed to say that for many years we manufactured products without any regard to their environmental impact. It just wasn’t something that was on my radar until about five years ago when the Paris Agreement was signed by every country on the planet promising to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That was my wake up call, and it seemed logical that countries would only meet their targets if businesses committed to the same goals. So I went out looking for help setting a climate target and mapping out realistic steps my brand could take to meet it.
It was pretty disheartening to learn that no one could help us, no matter how much time or money we threw at a solution. I continued researching and talking to experts until, a few years ago, my interest in decarbonization surpassed my interest in running my brand. I shut down my company, spent a few years getting educated and ideating, found some incredibly smart people to work with, and founded Vert Science.
(FibreTrace) You begin working with brands by doing pilots. How does the pilot program work?
(Haley/Vert Science) Our pilot program enables brands to measure product impacts with unprecedented precision, set a climate target for each product, and publish a consumer facing label to loop their customers in on the journey. A brand selects SKUs made with one set of suppliers. For example, a farm, a ginning facility, a mill, a dye house, and a cut and sew factory.
Our team uses smart supply chain technology to extract carbon emission and water usage data from each supplier. That data powers a dashboard that gives the brand and suppliers visibility into their exact current footprint and the ability to map out step-by-step how to reduce impacts.
(FibreTrace) There is a growing number of brands that desire visibility and transparency throughout their entire supply chain, however, not nearly as many are ready to put in the extra time and effort to get there. How do you plan to tackle this lack of action?
(Haley/Vert Science) It’s a huge undertaking. One of the biggest problems with environmental impact accounting is that until now data have been collected manually, making it an inefficient, tedious project for the brand and suppliers to try and figure out what the numbers are. We’re automating data collection to make adoption seamless and valuable for both the brand and supplier.
(FibreTrace) Net zero emissions may seem like a very unattainable goal for some brands. What are some of the key structural changes that help brands begin this journey?
(Haley/Vert Science) The first one is a mindset change. Let’s normalize the term net zero and accept it as our end goal. It will take time to get there, but that is our destination (note: investing in offsets will never directly reduce fashion’s emissions). Something that tends to surprise people is that the fashion industry could eliminate the majority of its carbon footprint right now by investing in infrastructure like renewables and new machinery.
The steps that need to be taken are pretty straightforward, but most of them will be taken by suppliers because the majority of fashion’s impact comes from farms and factories. So the next shift is for brands serious about decarbonization to work closely with their suppliers to collaboratively set and meet reduction targets.
(FibreTrace) How can we encourage more brands to participate in programs like Vert Science?
(Haley/Vert Science) We have found that there isn’t a shortage of brands looking to take action. There’s a shortage of tools that are easy to use and produce real results. We’re scaling up as fast as we can and loving the enthusiasm from brands. We also have a free Slack community of 100+ brands who are networking and sharing resources about all things social and environmental impact.
Head to https://www.vertscience.com/ to learn more about the business. You can also join the Vert Science’s Slack community to combine forces with likeminded individuals and do more as a community by working together.
