# Will fashion brands stop buying from mills that still burn coal in boilers?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/fashion-brands-coal-boiler-phase-out-suppliers

Many will push you to stop, and some may move orders. Brands that signed the UN Fashion Industry Charter committed to phase coal out of their tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers' sites as soon as possible and by 2030 at the latest. It is a voluntary commitment, not law, so each brand's timing differs.

## What the Charter commits brands to

- The Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, run under UN Climate Change, was renewed at COP26 in November 2021.
- Signatories commit to phase out coal at owned sites and at supplier sites, tier 1 and tier 2 for brands, as soon as possible and by 2030 at the latest.
- No new coal power at those sites from January 2023.
- Signatories also commit to give suppliers incentives to make the change. Ask what support your buyer offers.

## Why processing mills are in the spotlight

Dyeing, printing and finishing need steam, and a coal boiler is often the largest emission source in a processing mill. These mills are usually tier 2 for a brand, and their boiler fuel sits in the brand's Scope 3 purchased goods. A coal phase-out promise cannot be met without changing your boiler.

## What buyers are likely to ask for

- Monthly fuel use by type, with invoices.
- A dated plan for the boiler: fuel chosen, investment, and the year coal stops.
- After the switch, evidence that it happened, such as fuel bills and test certificates for biomass lots.
- Read your buyer's own climate transition plan, because the Charter sets the latest date, not each brand's date.

## How to answer with a plan, not a promise

1. Measure this year's coal tonnes and Scope 1 as the baseline.
2. Compare PNG, biomass and electric options on cost per unit of useful heat.
3. Pick a target year before 2030 and the finance route.
4. Send the plan before the buyer asks; it is easier to keep orders with a dated plan than with a vague intention.

## Worked example: how much of a mill's footprint is coal

- Coal: 6,000 t a year x 2.42 kg CO2 per kg = 14,520 t CO2
- Grid electricity: 30,00,000 kWh x 0.710 = 2,130 t CO2
- Coal share of Scope 1 and 2: 14,520 / (14,520 + 2,130) = 87%

Quantities are illustrative. The coal figure uses a flat IPCC-based factor; a GCV-based figure for lower grade coal would be lower.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible shows boiler fuel Scope 1 from coal invoices month by month, so you can show a buyer the baseline and the fall after a switch. Its green loan readiness check helps prepare the finance file for a new boiler.

- [Coal, PNG or biomass boiler](https://senseible.earth/answers/coal-vs-png-vs-biomass-boiler-emissions)
- [Green loan readiness check](https://senseible.earth/green-loan-check)
- [Green loans for Tamil Nadu textile mills](https://senseible.earth/climate-intelligence/green-loan-textile-mill-tamil-nadu)
- [Textile industry](https://senseible.earth/industries/textile)

Sources: [UN Climate Change, Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (renewed November 2021)](https://unfccc.int), [GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard](https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-value-chain-scope-3-standard)

Last reviewed 2026-10-18. Charter commitments are voluntary and brand dates change; recheck the current Charter text on unfccc.int and each buyer's transition plan (checked October 2026).