Global GOTS certification soars 15.3%
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification rose 15.3% year on year in 2025, reaching 17,800 certified facilities across 95 countries, as demand for credible sustainability standards continues to grow.
Figures published in the 2025 Annual Report for Global Standard, the nonprofit behind the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), signals that uptake of robust, independently governed sustainability standards is high on the agenda for businesses looking to ‘manage risk, substantiate claims and meet rising expectations on transparency and due diligence’.
“Voluntary sustainability standards are increasingly being used not just to demonstrate intent, but to operationalize complex regulatory and ethical requirements,” explains Claudia Kersten, Global Standard’s managing director. “In a year of significant regulatory change, our focus has been on strengthening systems that are practical, transparent and credible for global textile supply chains.”
“Voluntary sustainability standards are increasingly being used not just to demonstrate intent, but to operationalize complex regulatory and ethical requirements.”
In 2025 the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) carried out a Due Diligence Alignment Assessment of GOTS. Overall, 98% of GOTS’ criteria fully or partially aligned with OECD guidance. Investment in digital infrastructure continued to strengthen system integrity and oversight with tools including Global Trace Base.
The organisation is also expanding its scope beyond organic with the development of the Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS), aimed at establishing a credible baseline for non-organic fibres.
By Jane Wolfe, contributor