Australian fashion brand Country Road has revealed the first grant recipients of its inaugural Climate Fund.
After receiving 40 applications, an Assessment Committee undertook in-depth due diligence to select three finalists and one honourable mention.
In 2022, Country Road announced Australia’s first fashion industry Climate Fund, pledging $1.5 million over three years in grant funding towards projects that drive positive climate solutions.
Three project finalists receiving grant support include Mud to Marle by Full Circle Fibres, Unlocking Emissions Reductions in the Fashion Industry Supply Chain - a toolkit for farmers by Landcare Australia, and Working with Wool Growers to Protect Plains-wanderer Grassland Habitat by Trust for Nature.
The Climate Fund will grant $147,000 to Full Circle Fibres, $200,000 towards Landcare Australia’s project and $200,000 to Trust For Nature. Further details on each project are listed below.
Country Road managing director Elle Roseby said the Climate Fund is expected to drive sustainable change in the wider fashion industry.
“We believe that partnerships are key to tackling industry-wide challenges and driving deep, long-term change,” Roseby said. “We are thrilled to be able to support those driving innovation at the grassroots level, and look forward to working alongside the first three finalists.”
The Climate Fund Assessment Committee included Cox Inall Ridgeway GM and cultural advisor to Country Road, Yatu Widders Hunt; Pollination Group MD Dr Helen Crowley; Country Road brand sustainability manager Fabia Pryor; and The Renewal Workshop AU/NZ circular lead Aleasha McCallion, who is also the cofounder of the Circular Economy Textiles Program at Monash Sustainable Development Institute.
Finalist: Full Circle Fibres
Mud to Marle is a fashion industry collaboration led by Full Circle Fibres, a B Corp-certified social enterprise, alongside Deakin University and local fibre producers including Geelong Textiles, Geelong Dyers, Ridgehaven (wool grower) and Australian Super Cotton (cotton grower).
The project is expected to turn low-value wool fibre into a high-value product. It will pilot and test proof of concept end-to-end on-shore manufacturing, including spinning, knitting, weaving and dyeing in Australia.
As well as using lower-grade wool fibres, the project will support local production and low-impact production methods.
According to Full Circle Fibres, the long-term aim of this project is to grow on-shore manufacturing capabilities and circular production systems within Australia.
As well as the $147,000 grant, which will go towards production such as raw fibre sourcing, dying, spinning, knitting, weaving and sampling, Country Road will act as an industry mentor, supporting the project team with guidance and feedback throughout the process.
A percentage of the grant will also contribute towards storytelling to share project learnings and opportunities.
Finalist: Landcare Australia
In collaboration with wool and cotton farmers, Landcare Australia will develop a toolkit that will provide independent information for farmers to make informed decisions regarding carbon and biodiversity opportunities available to them.
The toolkit will also accelerate Landcare Australia’s ability to support landholders with on-ground decisions.
Landcare’s $200,000 Climate Fund grant, combined with funding by Landcare Australia, will go towards the development of the toolkit. Learnings from this project will be shared Australia-wide by the not-for-profit organisation.
Finalist: Trust For Nature
Trust For Nature is one of Australia’s oldest conservation organisations, working with Victorians to protect and restore nature on private land. The Protect Plains-wanderer Grassland Habitat Project will support Trust For Nature in its work to increase the area of permanently protected grassland habitat for the Plains-wanderer - a critically endangered bird fighting for survival with habitat in Victoria’s Southern Mallee region.
Key to the project will be establishing relationships with the local community and landholders to improve knowledge and appreciation of grassland ecosystems, Trust For Nature noted.
The Trust holds collaborative relationships with graziers and employs and partners with First Nations people in the management of its reserves.
Its grant by Country Road will go towards the development of the land management plan, covenant incentive payments for landholders, on-ground work and knowledge-sharing workshops.
The funding will also assist Trust for Nature to communicate the project.
Honourable Mention: Thamarrurr Youth Indigenous Corporation - Remote First Nations Community Fashion and Textiles Project
Country Road also acknowledged Thamarrurr Youth Indigenous Corporation with an Honourable Mention for its Remote First Nations Community Fashion and Textiles Project.
“The commitment to knowledge exchange and community education was a real feature of the approach,” Widders Hunt said. “The team are delighted to provide an honourable mention for this application, but also aim to work with the corporation, in the hopes that they will participate in the Climate Fund in future years.
“We look forward to learning more about the aspirations of the community and how we can work together to achieve meaningful, community-led outcomes.”
The Climate Fund’s primary mandate is to invest in projects with a positive climate impact that directly or indirectly reduces greenhouse gas emissions in the fashion industry supply chain, Country Road stated.
Country Road will open up a new round of applications in October this year. Further details can be found on the Country Road website.