French Environmental Cost of Textiles: Key Insights for Fashion Brands
This blog was originally posted on 23rd September, 2025. Further regulatory developments may have occurred after publication. To keep up-to-date with the latest compliance news, sign up to our newsletter.
AUTHORED BY EMILIA ASSENZA, SENIOR REGULATORY COMPLIANCE SPECIALIST, COMPLIANCE & RISKS
Introduction
On 9 September, France officially introduced the Environmental Cost of Textiles with the publication of two pieces of legislation – a Decree and an Order – as part of the implementation of the Climate and Resilience Law requiring environmental labeling.
The finalization of the Decree and the Order marks the conclusion of a legislative process started back in November 2024, when the two texts were proposed. Following a period of consultation, in May 2025, the EU Commission gave the green light to the French Environmental Cost of Textiles (formerly known as Eco-score).
The primary objective of the Environmental Cost of Textiles is to inform consumers about the environmental impact of products, promoting transparency and preventing greenwashing practices.
Decree No. 2025-957 establishes the methods for calculating and communicating the environmental cost whilst the Order of 6 September 2025 sets out the signage requirements and the methodology for the calculation.
The Environmental Cost will apply from 1 October 2025, on a voluntary basis, to manufacturers, importers and distributors of textile products on the French market. Operators are required to calculate and communicate the environmental cost through the portal Ecobalyse and communicate it in accordance with the methodology set out in the Order.
Products in Scope
As per Article 1 of the Order, the products in scope of the French environmental cost are those within the scope of Regulation (EU) No. 1007/2011, with the exception of the following products:
- Textile products not used for clothing, such as household linen and covers;
- Single-use textile clothing products;
- Textile clothing products containing electronic components;
- Textile clothing products for which more than 20% of the mass consists of materials for which the modelling of the contribution to the calculation of the environmental cost is not included in the methodological note.
Based on the wording of said Article 1, the following products are also out of scope:
- Footwear
- Leather products and accessories
- Personal protective equipment
- Second-hand products
Furthermore, Article 4 lists the 11 product types to be used as a reference parameter in the calculation of the environmental cost:
- Boxer shorts/Briefs
- Underpants
- Socks
- Shirt
- Jeans
- Skirt/Dress
- Swimwear
- Coat/Jacket
- Trousers/Shorts
- Sweater
- T-shirt/Polo shirt
Methods for Calculation
The methods for the calculation of the environmental cost are detailed in Articles 3-7 of the Order and take into account the environmental impacts of the product throughout its life cycle. They are based on the 16 environmental footprint indicators as per as per Recommendation (EU) 2021/2279 on the PEF method as described in its Annex 1 (such as depletion of the ozone layer, use of water resources, land use, etc.) plus two additional categories: Export outside the EU (in order to penalize products exported as waste) and Microfiber emissions (to capture pollution from synthetic fibers).
The 16 categories are factored into the cost by using the normalization and weighting coefficients as detailed in the table shown in Article 5.
A durability coefficient is also applied (with a value between 0.67 and 1.45), based on two criteria, incentive for repair and range width. More information on this coefficient can be found here.
The calculation of the environmental cost must take into account certain reference parameters (i.e. data points) as listed in Article 7. There are six mandatory parameters which must be provided:
- Type of product
- Mass of the finished product
- Nature and percentage of the materials that make up the product, provided that these materials represent at least 2% of the total mass of the product and 5% of the total impact of the modelled product
- Geographical origin of the weaving/knitting stage
- Geographical origin of the finishing or printing stage
- Geographical origin of the assembly stage
The other parameters, if missing, are substituted by a default value.
Signage
A standardized sign must be used, as shown in the Order, which expresses the environmental cost in “impacts points” per 100 grams.
The environmental cost shall be accessible at the time of purchase of the product and can be updated, at most, once every three months.
The term “accessible” suggests that the information does not have to be directly visible, but that the consumer must be able to access the information when they make the purchase.
Where the environmental cost is presented in physical stores or online, the size of this graphic representation shall be at least equivalent to the font size of the price figures in stores.
Where the environmental cost is affixed, by means of marking or labeling, to a unit of product or to its packaging, the size of this graphic representation must be visible and legible.
Regardless of the physical or digital medium used, the size of this graphic representation shall be at least equivalent to that of any other environmental impact score that is voluntarily communicated on the same product reference.
Key Dates
Both the Decree and the Order will enter into force on 1 October 2025.
Although voluntary, starting from 1 October 2026, third parties may calculate the environmental cost of a product, based on available data, if the operators haven’t done so. This provision is a strong incentive for operators to determine the environmental cost of their products themselves, with the consequence of making it indirectly mandatory.
Additionally, any legal or natural person who voluntarily communicates a score relating to one or more environmental impacts of a textile product must also communicate the environmental cost. Until 1 October 2026, this obligation only applies if the manufacturer, importer, or marketer has calculated and communicated the environmental cost.
Want to stay ahead of regulatory developments in Fashion & Textiles across topics including Labeling, Ecodesign & Environmental Claims? Check out our Guide ‘Beyond The Label: A Guide To Product Compliance In Fashion & Textiles‘.
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August 27th, 2025
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