How Fashion Brands Can Prepare for 2026 Sustainability and Transparency Regulations

2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for fashion brands operating in Europe. With new regulations targeting fast fashion, environmental impact disclosure, supply chain transparency, and product traceability, the stakes are higher than ever. Compliance is no longer a matter of good practice: it is a condition for accessing key markets, including France and the European Union.

For brands, the challenge is operational: how to translate legal obligations into actionable processes, IT systems, and team workflows. Here’s a practical roadmap to prepare for the 2026 regulatory landscape.

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1. Map Raw Materials at Risk and Implement Full Traceability

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The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and French Environmental Cost and other supply chain rules require brands to prove that raw materials or related products do not contribute to deforestation and are sourced responsibly. Preparing for this starts with mapping raw materials across all suppliers and production tiers.

Start by:

• Identifying materials at high risk.
• Engaging suppliers to provide precise origin data for all high-risk raw materials.
• Implementing traceability systems to track materials from source to finished product.

By building a full traceability framework, brands not only comply with regulations but also gain insights into supply chain vulnerabilities, enabling proactive risk management.

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2. Structure Internal Product Data and Upgrade IT Systems

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Many new regulations, including the Environmental Cost in France and the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation with the Digital Product Passport, require brands to generate and manage extensive product data. This includes environmental impact metrics, lifecycle data, and compliance records for each item.

Key operational steps include:

• Standardizing product data fields across design, sourcing, and production systems and teams.
• Centralizing information in  integrated IT systems (traceability platform, ERP, PLM) to support reporting, labeling, and regulatory submissions.
• Linking product data with sustainability metrics, supplier certificates, and digital product passports.

Structured product data ensures that teams can quickly respond to regulatory requests and avoid delays at market entry.

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3. Prepare Operationally for Product Labeling

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France’s Climate & Resilience Law with Environmental Cost encourages brands to display environmental impact labels, and similar labeling requirements are emerging across the EU. Operational readiness involves more than compliance, since it affects design, packaging, and marketing workflows.

To prepare:

• Define a clear labeling scope, including which product categories are covered, where the information will be displayed (online, in store, or on product tags), and how labels will be produced and printed.
• Standardize LCA methodologies and data ownership to ensure scores are consistent, reproducible, and aligned with approved calculation rules.
• Integrate labeling data into core IT systems so environmental information flows automatically from product data and LCA tools to consumer-facing channels.

Embedding labeling into operational processes means avoiding last-minute adjustments and reinforcing consumer trust.

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4. Become Familiar with Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Impact Measurement

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Understanding and reporting environmental impact is at the core of several 2026 regulations, such as Digital Product Passports and French Environmental Cost. Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) allows brands to quantify environmental footprints from raw material sourcing to disposal.

Operational steps to get started:

• Identify key product categories and gather data on energy use, water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste.
• Use standardized LCA tools to calculate impact at product level.
• Integrate LCA results into internal dashboards, reporting platforms, and eventually, consumer-facing labels.

Brands that master LCA early will not only meet regulatory obligations but can use these insights to drive product innovation, material substitution, and sustainable design.

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5. Start Early to Turn Compliance into Competitive Advantage

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The key to operational readiness in 2026 is proactive preparation. Waiting until regulations are enforced will result in rushed processes, higher costs, and potential market delays. Early action allows brands to:

• Strengthen supply chain resilience through full traceability.
• Build structured product data systems that integrate sustainability metrics.
• Embed labeling, LCA, and reporting processes into daily operations.
• Train teams to operate confidently under new regulatory expectations.

Brands that treat compliance as an operational priority will not only avoid penalties but also strengthen brand reputation and consumer trust in a market increasingly driven by transparency and sustainability.

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