More than 25 brands and retailers, including H&M, Inditex, Levi Strauss & Co and Marks & Spencer, have pledged to phase out endangered forest fiber in their product lines. Denim brand G-Star Raw will eliminate the use of rayon and viscose fabrics derived from ancient and endangered forests. The brand will give preference to recycled and FSC-certified wood products. The brand is working with environmental organisation Canopy, which last year produced research suggesting threatened forests are routinely making their way into rayon, viscose, modal and other trademarked fabrics.

Aditya Birla, the world’s largest producer of viscose, will stop sourcing raw material from ancient and endangered forests. The Indian conglomerate said it applies to wood and pulp sourcing for all its mills, including those in Canada, Indonesia and China.

Canopy's Fashion Loved by Fashion campaign seeks to shift suppliers away from endangered forest sourcing as well as advancing long-term conservation solutions and more sustainable fabric solutions, such as recycled fabrics or non-wood fibers like straw.

This, in addition to Lenzing’s augmented sourcing policy, translates to 40 per cent of the global supply of viscose fibers being on track to avoid being sourced from endangered forests, forward conservation solutions and explore alternative inputs like recycled clothing.