More than 2,500 companies in Portugal’s textile and clothing sector stand out for their commitment to sustainability, which is establishing itself as an economic pillar of competitiveness, reporting clear efficiency gains and cost reductions, according to be@t’s third Sustainability Report. The findings were developed under the regenerative be@t- Bioeconomy in Textiles and Clothing project, with the support of the PRR- Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The report, just released by CITEVE- Textile and Clothing Technological Centre, which coordinates a consortium of 60 entities implementing be@t, reveals that the sector has matured in the integration of ESG criteria (environmental, social, and governance), with more companies reporting data, more indicators being monitored, and an increasingly strategic reading of information, as reported by Jornal Económico.

The number of environmental certifications issued rose by 13% compared to the previous year, totalling 2,526, according to the report based on a representative sample of the sector (105 companies- 36% more than in the first year of reporting), thereby pointing to significantly higher figures that reflect a cross-cutting strengthening of responsible practices across the value chain.

According to Braz Costa, director-general of CITEVE: “What this third Sustainability Report shows is clear: more companies reporting, more metrics, more transparency, more maturity,” he confirms. “With more companies taking part in this exercise, it’s a sign that the sector no longer sees sustainability as a mere commercial positioning tool, but as critical competitiveness infrastructure.”

“Overall, the comparison with the previous reports, published in 2023 and 2024, allows us to conclude that the textile and clothing sector is consistently moving from a diagnostic exercise to a structured management model for sustainability as a factor in competitiveness.”

The 105 participating companies represent more than 15,800 jobs, confirming sustainability as standard practice in the sector.

According to the study, although more companies are reporting total consumption of renewable and non-renewable fuels (+6%), overall consumption fell by around 6%. The incorporation of sustainable raw materials has also accelerated, with more than 11% of the materials used being recycled (+3%) and around 25% being of organic or bio-based origin (+4%).

In the area of chemical safety, 68% of companies reduced their consumption of chemicals, up four percentage points on 2023, with 90% of companies reporting this indicator. At the same time, 79% invested in replacing substances with less harmful alternatives, six percentage points more than in the previous year. Investment totalled €5,576 million, down 3% on 2023.

The CITEVE statement also stresses that this latest report highlights the bioeconomy strategy “in reducing external dependencies, valuing local resources and aligning the Portuguese industry with the demands of global brands and European regulation”, the statement concludes.