Stuttgart, Germany -
Global Standard gGmbH is pleased to announce the release of Draft 2 of the Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS) for its second public consultation. The consultation will be open from 1 April 2026 to 30 April 2026, inviting stakeholders across the textile and apparel value chain to provide input and contribute to the further development of this new Standard.
This second consultation builds on feedback received during the first public consultation phase and reflects revisions aimed at strengthening the Standard’s clarity, applicability and impact.
GRTS is designed to establish a robust, globally applicable framework for responsible practices in the textile sector, addressing environmental performance, social compliance, chemical management, traceability and governance.
Call for Stakeholder Input
Global Standard welcomes all stakeholders to contribute their insights and perspectives. Your participation will help shape a credible, effective standard that extends responsible practices across more fibre types and business models, strengthening the industry’s ability to deliver on our social and environmental goals.
1st Consultation Inputs
The 1st consultation period for GRTS was conducted in July 2025. 97 inputs were received, which were internally and externally discussed. The inputs and our responses are placed in this file.
Standards Development Process
The development of the GRTS follows the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Sustainability Systems, ensuring a transparent, inclusive and evidence-based approach. This includes multiple rounds of stakeholder consultation, including this second public consultation, as well as documented decision-making and balanced stakeholder representation.
Background on the Standard
GRTS aims to extend the same principles of health, ecology, fairness and care to a broader range of fibres. While GOTS remains the global benchmark for organic textiles, GRTS will enable companies using other responsible fibres to credibly demonstrate both environmental and social performance under the same trusted system.
Shared core principles, same trusted process
The Global Responsible Textile Standard is rooted in the same robust criteria and processes that define GOTS. These include:
-
Human Rights including Social Criteria: Strict prohibition of child labour, forced labour and discrimination; mandatory safe working conditions and fair treatment of workers.
-
Environmental Protection: Mandatory use of environmentally sound processes and materials with rigorous restrictions on chemical inputs.
-
Due diligence: Systematic implementation of responsible business conduct, including risk assessment and mitigation procedures
-
Traceability: Transparent tracking and volume reconciliation throughout the value chain.
-
Third-Party certification: Independent assurance by GOTS-approved certification bodies.
-
Comprehensive scope: Certification from raw material sourcing to the finished textile product.
-
No GMO-origin fibres: All fibres used under GRTS must originate from independently verified, non-GMO sources and are certified to meet stringent environmental and social standards. To uphold this standard of integrity, GRTS requires all fibre inputs to be registered in the Global Fibre Registry (GFR), a traceability tool developed by Global Standard to track and verify the origins of all fibres entering the GRTS and GOTS systems.