The French Environmental Cost: Driving Transparency in the Textile Industry

12 Jun 2025

The French Environmental Cost eco-score labels apparel’s environmental impact using lifecycle data. Effective 2025, it promotes transparency and circularity.

The French Environmental Cost (Coût Environnemental) is a groundbreaking labeling system designed to transparently communicate the environmental impact of apparel and textile products to consumers. This pivotal initiative aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economy and empower consumers to make more sustainable purchasing decisions. It underscores France's commitment to enhancing sustainability and combating climate change by encouraging businesses to disclose their environmental impact in the textile industry.

On May 15, 2025, Agnès PANNIER-RUNACHER, Minister for Ecological Transition, announced the European Commission's approval of a voluntary eco-score labelling framework for clothing. This framework, based on the PEF method, assesses the environmental impact of garments throughout their lifecycle, including carbon footprint, water consumption, and microfibre emissions. Following a public consultation in late 2024, the voluntary implementation of this eco-score is set for the second half of 2025, aiming to enhance consumer awareness and support eco-design efforts in the fight against ultra-fast fashion.

While currently operating on a voluntary basis for experimentation, the French Environmental Cost may become mandatory in the future, allowing brands to adapt and refine their data collection and reporting processes.

The core obligation for brands is to calculate and display their Environmental Display score. This necessitates robust supply chain transparency and comprehensive reporting on their environmental performance. The score is calculated based on a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), considering 16 key environmental indicators throughout a product's entire lifecycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life. These indicators include:

• Carbon emissions
• Water consumption
• Land use
• Energy use
• Mineral resource use
• Impact on biodiversity
• Microfiber pollution
• Toxicity to humans and ecosystems

These indicators are rigorously assessed using scientifically sound Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) principles. Crucially, the French Environmental Cost methodology is built upon the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method, developed by the European Commission. This alignment ensures a robust, science-based approach to assessing environmental impacts. The French system also incorporates additional metrics tailored to the fashion sector, such as durability, to provide a more holistic evaluation.

How Intertek Can Help Apparel Brands Achieve French Environmental Cost Compliance and Beyond

Intertek offers a suite of solutions to empower apparel brands and manufacturers not only to comply with the evolving French Environmental Cost requirements but also to strategically enhance their overall sustainability practices. Our expertise helps you transform compliance into a competitive advantage:

Trace for Good Solutions for Unparalleled Supply Chain Transparency:

• End-to-End Product Traceability: Intertek's collaboration with 'Trace for Good solutions' enables brands to meticulously track the entire lifecycle of their products, from the origin of raw materials through manufacturing, distribution, and even end-of-life. This granular transparency is crucial for accurately calculating the environmental impact required for the French Environmental Cost.
• Streamlined Data Collection and Management: We provide robust frameworks and tools to efficiently gather, manage, and validate critical environmental data across your complex supply chain, forming the backbone of accurate environmental impact assessments.

Expert Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Capabilities:

• Comprehensive Environmental Impact Evaluations: Intertek's deep expertise in LCA services to Eco score and PEF standards provide detailed evaluations of the environmental impacts of products, helping brands to calculate the Environmental Cost for each product, encompassing all 16 environmental indicators required for compliance.

By leveraging Intertek's Trace for Good solutions and advanced LCA capabilities, apparel brands can not only confidently navigate the complexities of the French Environmental Cost but also unequivocally demonstrate their unwavering commitment to sustainability, responsible production, and environmental stewardship. This proactive approach builds consumer trust and strengthens brand reputation in an increasingly eco-conscious market.

Would you like to explore how Intertek can partner with your brand to achieve French Environmental Cost compliance and accelerate your sustainability journey? Contact us today for a detailed consultation.