Introduction to the French eco-score for textile products

Introduction

Consumers increasingly want to make informed and responsible choices: six in ten French consumers say they want to buy more sustainably. Yet in fashion, a fundamental question remains unanswered: how can we reliably compare the environmental impact of two garments?
Unlike the food sector, there is no “nutri-score” equivalent offering a simple and trustworthy indicator.

To address this gap, the French Climate and Resilience Law introduced environmental labelling. The goal is straightforward: assign a harmonised environmental score to every textile product, calculated using a methodology defined by ADEME. Starting 1 October 2025, this system will become a concrete requirement for the entire sector.

A single score designed to guide decision-making

Although not mandatory, the score must follow a strict methodology based on life-cycle assessment. The result is a single indicator reflecting the true footprint of a garment across its entire life cycle.

For consumers, this score provides a clear and immediate point of reference. It helps compare similar products and identify which one has the lowest impact, making responsible purchasing easier and more intuitive.

A strategic lever for brands

For brands, environmental labelling extends far beyond consumer information. It highlights eco-design efforts, supports continuous improvement, and prepares the ground for the future Digital Product Passport, which will likely include an environmental impact score aligned with either the French or EU methodology.

What you’ll learn in this module

In this module, you will explore:

• the regulatory framework behind environmental labelling;
• the methodology used to calculate the score;
• what these requirements change for your operations;
• best practices to structure and prepare your data;
• tools that can support you in implementing this new framework.

Ready to dive into environmental labelling? Let’s get started.