ZDHC Brands to Zero Report 2026 Names 21 Champion Brands

26 October 2026: ZDHC Foundation announced its 2026 Brands to Zero Report on 15 October 2026, reporting that 21 brands reached Champion Level, up from 15 previously. Covering global fashion, textile, leather and footwear supply chains, the findings show stronger chemical-management oversight but a persistent gap between supplier monitoring and follow-up.

The report examines how ZDHC Signatory Brands put chemical-management commitments into practice through corporate governance, purchasing and supplier relationships. ZDHC clarified in its report announcement that the 2026 assessment reviews implementation during 2025.

What ZDHC Brands to Zero assesses

KPMG Netherlands independently conducts the assessment, according to ZDHC. The assessment framework awards Pioneer, Accelerator and Champion levels, with Champion the highest. It evaluates corporate practices and supply-chain performance, including how brands set requirements, monitor implementation and respond when suppliers fall short. ZDHC reviews the criteria over time, so the levels mark stages of implementation rather than a permanent endpoint. Its announcement notes that the Champion group includes organisations with different sizes and business models.

Champion status recognises the integration of chemical-management goals into purchasing practices and implementation across supply chains. Chemical formulators participate through a separate role, illustrated by Colorband’s ZDHC signatory status; this should not be confused with a brand’s assessment level.

Supplier monitoring outpaces follow-up

In ZDHC’s published findings, the proportion of brands requiring suppliers to provide InCheck data rose from 75% to 91%. Those monitoring that information increased from 87% to 91%, while brands actively following up with suppliers rose from 60% to 74%.

The difference matters because a monitoring system can identify a problem without resolving it. ZDHC calls for closer supplier engagement, technical support and corrective action, with purchasing teams sharing responsibility rather than leaving chemical management solely to sustainability staff. It argues that brands should use the data to understand suppliers’ barriers and check whether improvements continue, rather than treating the submission of a report as the end of the process.

Through the ZDHC Gateway, InCheck provides information about chemical inventories’ conformance with the Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL), while ClearStream covers wastewater performance. Supplier to Zero assesses manufacturers’ chemical-management systems. These tools serve different purposes; an inventory report alone does not demonstrate wastewater performance.

Data verification is another part of this work, as covered in Screen Print India’s report on TÜV Rheinland’s InCheck verifier qualification.

Environmental potential is not a measured result

A separate 2025 study commissioned by ZDHC and conducted by Quantis examined the potential environmental benefits of safer chemical management. ZDHC says selected modelled scenarios could reduce certain nature-related impact indicators by up to 80–96%. This does not mean participating brands have already achieved those reductions across their operations.

ZDHC’s stated 2030 ambition is MRSL conformance for 100% of chemical formulations used within its community and 70% across the global industry. These are future targets, not present adoption rates. The foundation also cautions that Brands to Zero data can support sustainability disclosures but does not independently fulfil every regulatory requirement.