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Sustainability & Recycling

UNEP Calls For Proposals To Build India’s Textile LCI Database

• By  Textile Excellence
• April 01, 2026

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has invited proposals to develop India’s national textile Life Cycle Inventory database, a critical step toward enabling data driven sustainability and circular economy adoption in the sector.

The initiative aims to create standardised datasets covering fibre production, processing, dyeing and finishing, allowing accurate measurement of environmental impacts across the value chain. India’s textile sector contributes nearly 2.3% to GDP and accounts for around 10% of industrial production, making robust environmental benchmarking essential for global compliance.

The database will support life cycle assessments, carbon footprint analysis and resource efficiency tracking, aligning Indian exporters with stringent regulations in key markets such as the European Union. Studies indicate that improved data transparency can reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 30% through targeted interventions. The move is expected to strengthen India’s position in sustainable sourcing while accelerating the transition toward circular textile systems.

The initiative aims to create standardised datasets covering fibre production, processing, dyeing and finishing, allowing accurate measurement of environmental impacts across the value chain. India’s textile sector contributes nearly 2.3% to GDP and accounts for around 10% of industrial production, making robust environmental benchmarking essential for global compliance.