Planet Textiles conference and exhibition reveals the first speakers of a uniquely diverse and influential line-up for four days of textile sustainability events in Denmark in May. Sandwiched between the two-day annual member meeting of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, Planet Textiles will feature renowned environmentalist, mountaineer and filmmaker, Rick Ridgeway, Patagonia's vice president of environmental affairs. Ridgeway is joined by a high profile cast which includes organisations such as the Chinese National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) which has chosen Planet Textiles to make its first presentation in the European textile market on the new 5-year plan – and how this plan will impact environmental issues in China's textile manufacturing sector to 2020.

Among the other confirmed speakers include senior governmental representation from the German Ministry's Partnership for Sustainable Textiles; the European Clothing Action Plan, which will talk about how to embed a circular economy approach to the European clothing sector; along with initiatives from other leading clothing and retail brands such as VF Corporation – which produces 562 million units of clothing per year from over 30 of its brands, including The North Face, Wrangler, Lee, Timberland and Volcom - to name a few.