Cotton Footprint: transitioning the carbon intensive cotton and textiles industry to renewable infrastructure through a whole supply chain approach

Partners: Pilio & SAMA^Verte

Country: Pakistan

Technology: Other energy access technology

Stage: Mid

Stage: Round 10

South Asia’s rural communities play a crucial role in farming and producing cotton for the global fashion and textile industry. These smallholder farmers often lack access to reliable and affordable energy to meet their livelihood needs. The Affordable Clean Environment (ACE) Village programme is an insetting solution that channels investments from fashion and textile brands into farming communities to provide reliable and affordable clean energy while meeting brand sustainability commitments.

This ongoing project aims to leverage support from Energy Catalyst to establish a sustainable economic model, providing clean energy access to farming villages across Pakistan and India. The aim is to catalyse a clean energy transition through deployment of a portfolio of solutions including: solar microgrids, solar irrigation, home solar, solar-powered community shops, clean cookstoves, and native species planting. As part of this solution, Pilio and in-country partners SAMA^Verte are developing a technology platform for brands to quantify the impact of their investment on carbon reduction, clean energy adoption, nature enhancement, and livelihood improvements. This project will work closely with WWF Pakistan and Better Cotton.