Workshop to Europe: China’s Apparel Low-Carbon Leap

When European Orders Come with “Carbon Exams”, We’ve Handed in Such Answers

“Can the carbon footprint data of this workwear be traced in real time? Are the supply chain’s emission reduction certificates complete?” Three years ago, faced with a barrage of questions from European buyers, our production line manager fell silent. Today, when garments with digital product passports are shipped abroad again, they’re accompanied by third-party certified low-carbon reports — behind this lies a Chinese manufacturer’s proactive adaptation to EU green rules, and more importantly, a profound commitment to sustainable manufacturing.

Compliance First: Turning “Trade Barriers”  into “Entry Tickets”

The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive took effect in 2024, and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will be fully implemented in 2026. A series of policies have turned “low-carbon compliance” from a choice into a must. Our breakthrough starts with three actions:

l Creating “carbon profiles” for every product: We introduced an automated carbon tracking system and calculate full life cycle emissions strictly in line with EU PEFCR rules. Take the outdoor jackets popular in Europe as an example: data from 12 stages—from the procurement of recycled polyester fabric (40% emission reduction) to waterless dyeing processes (80% water saving)—is synced to an EU-recognized traceability platform. When we first passed carbon footprint certification, European clients said plainly, “This is the most reassuring procurement credential.”

l Imposing “tight constraints” on the supply chain: We signed low-carbon agreements with three core fabric factories, requiring them to provide green electricity usage certificates and energy consumption reports. Last year, we helped upstream factories complete waste heat recovery renovations—this alone reduced overall supply chain carbon emissions by another 15%, perfectly meeting the EU’s supply chain accountability requirements.

Production Revolution: The “Green Addition and Subtraction” in the Workshop

Low-carbon transformation is never an extra cost, but an efficiency revolution. Step into our production workshop, and these changes are taking place:

l Energy Subtraction: Dual Empowerment of Green Electricity and LEDs: Drawing on the green power transformation experience of Nantong Dasheng San Cotton Textile Co., Ltd., we replaced all traditional electricity with green, recycled power. Through a mix of connecting to distributed photovoltaic projects and green power procurement, we achieved 100% clean energy for production. In 2024, carbon emissions from production dropped 52% year-on-year, equivalent to planting 30,000 mature trees annually. Meanwhile, we fully upgraded workshop lighting: replacing traditional fluorescent lamps with energy-efficient LEDs, and implementing daylight harvesting via an intelligent light control system. This cut lighting energy use by 60% and raised workshop illumination uniformity to over 90%. Under precise lighting of over 300lux, the stitching error rate of outdoor apparel fell 12%, and the uniformity of wear-resistant coating application on workwear improved markedly. Combined, these two upgrades reduced unit production costs by 8%, truly achieving a win-win of emission reduction and quality improvement.

l  Adding Value to Processes: A new workwear model launched last year, with harmful substances near zero, successfully obtained EU Ecolabel certification, driving a 30% month-on-month increase in orders.

l  Multiplying Benefits from Waste: We established a scrap recycling system, converting 80 tons of cutting waste into recycled yarn annually. After obtaining Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification, this yarn is fed back into the production line—cutting raw material costs and forming a “production-recycling-reuse” closed loop.

Today, our products have entered markets in 12 European countries, and the proportion of low-carbon certified products has jumped from 20% in 2022 to 75% in 2025. Behind these figures lies the practice of  “selling not just products but also peace of mind” — as that European buyer put it: “The low-carbon transformation of Chinese enterprises is reshaping the green landscape of the global supply chain.”

Beyond the Present: Our Low-Carbon Timeline

l 2026: Achieve 100% product carbon footprint certification

l 2027: Power the entire supply chain with green electricity

l 2030: Build a full-process zero-emission production line

From responding to rules to leading standards, from passive compliance to active innovation—the low-carbon story of Chinese manufacturing is being woven stitch by stitch. The next batch of orders bound for Europe is already on its way.