Birla Cellulose achieves top ranking in Canopy’s Hot Button Report 2024
This marks the fifth consecutive year that Birla Cellulose has received the highest rating of ‘Dark Green Shirt,’ cementing its position as a global leader in sustainable practices.
Birla Cellulose, the sustainability-focused Man-Made Cellulosic Fibres (MMCF) business of the Aditya Birla Group, has once again demonstrated its leadership in responsible wood sourcing by securing the Number One ranking in Canopy’s Hot Button Report 2024. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Birla Cellulose has received the highest rating of ‘Dark Green Shirt,’ cementing its position as a global leader in sustainable practices.
The Hot Button Report, released annually by Canopy, a not-for-profit environmental organisation, is a critical resource for fashion brands and retailers. The report independently assesses MMCF suppliers based on their forest fibre sourcing practices, enabling stakeholders to make informed choices that align with biodiversity conservation and deforestation-free supply chains.
Commenting on the achievement, HK Agarwal, Managing Director of Grasim Industries and Business Director of Birla Cellulose, said, “Birla Cellulose is proud to be leading the collaborative effort for scaling up Next Gen solutions. This prestigious recognition affirms Birla Cellulose’s unwavering dedication to enhancing sustainable wood sourcing practices, forest conservation, and maintaining transparency in the value chain.”
Nicole Rycroft, Executive Director of Canopy, also commended the company’s efforts, “Hearty congratulations to Aditya Birla Group for once again securing the top spot in Canopy’s 2024 Hot Button Report. We commend their hard work to remove Ancient and Endangered Forests from the MMCF supply chain and are encouraged by their consistent progress in bringing Next Gen fibres to market at scale. We look forward to their continued leadership in 2025 in driving the sector’s transition to low-carbon Next Gen production.”
Birla Cellulose continues to invest heavily in research and development, focusing on Next Gen Solutions. Through lab and pilot-scale trials, the company explores a diverse range of feedstocks to reduce the impact on forests. These efforts are aimed at significantly scaling up the use of Next Gen Solutions to transform the MMCF industry sustainably.
With 11 sites for pulp and fibre manufacturing, Birla Cellulose leverages environmentally efficient closed-loop technologies to minimise resource consumption and carbon emissions. Its five advanced research centres, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, further underscore its commitment to innovation and environmental conservation.
Canopy’s Hot Button Report is a trusted resource for over 550 global fashion brands and retailers seeking to source sustainably. With combined annual revenues exceeding US $1 trillion, these brands play a pivotal role in promoting environmentally friendly practices within the textile industry. The ‘Dark Green Shirt’ rating represents the pinnacle of compliance with Canopy’s requirements for Ancient and Endangered Forest conservation, transparency, traceability, and next-generation solutions.
As a pioneer in the field of sustainable fibres, Birla Cellulose, a part of the Aditya Birla Group, sets new standards for innovation, quality, and environmental responsibility. The company is always pushing the limits of what is possible in fibre technology, developing new, cutting-edge ways to meet the changing needs of the fashion and textile industries.
The sustainable fibres offered by Birla Cellulose’s extensive product line allow the company to serve various markets. Their fibres, like Viscose, Modal, and Lyocell, are known for being soft, comfortable, and easy to work with. It prioritises environmental protection and strives to leave as little carbon imprint as possible. Birla Cellulose is steadfast in its commitment to environmental governance, which extends from the ethical procurement of raw materials to using environmentally beneficial manufacturing methods.