The changes in Canopy’s Hot Button Report introduce stricter goals, a simplified ratings system, and a stronger emphasis on scaling alternative fibres and landscape-level conservation.
The new criteria, set to take effect with the 2027 Hot Button Report, reduce the rating framework from seven categories to five.
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According to Canopy, this streamlining will provide clearer goals and expectations for producers, with defined targets set in both volume and percentage terms.
The criteria are also tailored to reflect the capacities of small, medium, and large MMCF companies.
Canopy stated that the rating system will now feature just three shirt colours, green, yellow, and red, to represent overall risk levels.
Producers sourcing fibres from known high-risk locations will automatically receive a red shirt designation, signalling the presence of Ancient and Endangered Forests or other controversial sources in their supply chains.
A significant development is the greater weighting the updated framework gives to companies investing in Next Gen Solutions, such as fibres made from recycled textiles, and participation in landscape-level forest protection initiatives.
Canopy emphasised that these shifts address mounting challenges presented by the climate crisis and the tightening global regulatory environment.
Canopy senior lead MaryAnn Ramirez said: “The Hot Button helped change the conversation about where fashion’s fibres come from. Ten years ago, the industry was asking whether viscose could be sourced without destroying the world’s most vital forests. Today, we have the opportunity to build a fibre system that is circular, resilient, and keeps forests standing. Hot Button is a system that must feel fair, equitable, and consistent year-to-year so producers can plan with confidence. At the same time, it must remain flexible enough to credit diverse pathways to impact.”
The Hot Button Report is a key reference for over 550 global apparel brands that are part of the CanopyStyle initiative, influencing sourcing decisions throughout the textile industry.
The non-profit said the framework’s development included consultation with all 28 rated MMCF producing companies and select brand partners, as well as a legal review to ensure compliance with international legislation.
