Proudly Presenting
The 2ä22 Winners
The Global Change Award accelerates the transformation of fashion and is one of the biggest innovation challenges in the world for sustainable early-stage innovation. Together with our partners Accenture, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and the Mills Fabrica, we find and support the brilliant minds who are making the impossible, possible. These are our five new winners who will become the wardrobe heroes we need, and our planet deserves.
BIOPUFF BY SALTYCO
A planet positive alternative to goose down, crafted from plants that heal damaged land.
“Saltyco’s innovation provides an integral solution addressing different environmental and social issues at the same time. Its alternative material is not only more sustainable and cruelty free, but it also assists in the restoration of degraded ecosystems and provides a sustainable source of income to farmers. This is the kind of solutions the fashion industry must seek to become a driver of transformative change.”
– Mirna Inés Fernández, Co-founder Reacción Climática and Steering Committee member Global Youth Biodiversity Network, GCA Impact Advisor 2022
BIORESTORE
A laundry solution that restores old and worn garments to mint condition.
“The innovations we see from Global Change Award are truly inspiring. Biorestore is a washing powder, anyone can use it – and it can prolong the life of our garments. That’s good for our planet as well as our own wardrobe. When you buy something that you love and feel comfortable in – you want it to last as long as possible! Scaling this innovation can really transform the way we use our clothes.”
– Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, actress, social activist and GCA Impact Advisor 2022
cottonace by wadhwani ai
An AI solution that reduces pesticide use, increases yield and raises incomes for smallholder cotton farmers.
“Utilizing Al to modernize what is commonly known as a traditional sector is a step in the right direction to solve the smallholder cotton farmers’ pest problems.”
– Betelhem Dessie, CEO of iCog ACC, GCA Impact Advisor 2022
re:lastane
The first mild process making elastane and polyester blend fabrics recyclable.
“The pandemic has highlighted the importance of comfort in the clothes we wear, and with that the rising use of blends, especially with spandex. Currently, it’s prohibitively costly and nearly impossible to recycle blended materials. Realizing and scaling Re:lastane’s innovation will allow us to address a key challenge in the recycling of apparel, getting us one step closer to circularity.”
– Walden Lam, Co-founder & CEO unspun, GCA winner 2017 and GCA Impact Advisor 2022
rubi
Planet positive viscose and lyocell made from carbon emissions.
“This innovation, if expanded to industrial scale, will contribute greatly to CO2 removal and bring direct and indirect water and land benefits to nature and people. This potentially can be a carbon neutral or carbon negative, and nature positive solution to our intertwined climate change and biodiversity loss challenges.”
– Dr. Lin Li, Director of Global Policy and Advocacy, WWF International, GCA Impact Advisor 2022
Winners
Learn more about the 2022 winners, and our 30 brilliant teams of past winners that are part of the GCA Alumni Network.
“The winners of the Global Change Award hold the key to the complex challenges we are facing and prove that it’s possible to reinvent fashion.”
Karl-Johan Persson, board member of H&M Foundation and Chairman of H&M Group
Press release
H&M Foundation awards 5 innovations a total €1 million grant for their efforts to make the fashion industry planet positive
Read the press release →
Expert Panel
Our eight Impact Advisors has extensive knowledge within fashion, business, investments, entrepreneurship and innovation. They are part of choosing our winners, and play an active role in the GCA Impact Accelerator.
Meet the experts →
Sustainable fashion with Malin Åkerman
Celebrated actor, sustainability activist, and Impact Advisor in the GCA Expert Panel, Malin Åkerman gives her thoughts on sustainable fashion.
OUR PARTNERS – ENABLING SCALE
The GCA wouldn’t have been possible without our core partners Accenture, KTH and The Mills Fabrica. Their expertise, network and commitment to make the innovations scale and succeed is what makes the GCA Impact Accelerator programme one of the best one out there. When winning the GCA, the winners split a 1 million euro grant and embark on the year-long accelerator programme, providing them with invaluable coaching and support – known to cut years off the winners’ timeline – along with a strong network of brilliant minds and memories for life.
Accenture:
Business & Technology Readiness
Supporting with business and technology readiness, while also providing access to a large network of experts.
KTH Royal Institute of Technology:
Innovation Readiness
Supporting with science and technology legacy, a framework for innovation development and guidance in key commercialisation areas.
The Mills Fabrica:
Industry Access & Investor Readiness
Providing support, including investment readiness and peer portfolio synergies as well as industry exposure, ecosystem network and collaboration opportunities.
ARE YOU A PLANET HERB?
Climate action
If all emissions of CO2 completely stopped right now, how much of the current CO2 in the atmosphere would still be there 100 years from now?
- Less than 10% of today’s amount
- Almost 50% of today’s amount
- More than 90% of today’s amount
You are right
But 81% of people answer wrongly. They don’t realize that 100 years from now almost all the extra carbon will still be in the atmosphere.
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You were wrong – just like 81% of people.
CO2 disappears slowly
A hundred years from now, almost all the extra carbon will still be in the atmosphere.
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Clean water & sanitation
How many people in the world have access to safe drinking water in their home or close by?
- Around 30%
- Around 50%
- Around 70%
You are right
But 82% of people answer wrongly. Most people don’t realize how many actually have safe water. As they think few have safe drinking water at home, it must be difficult for them to imagine a future when everyone has it.
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The world is not as bad as you think
Most people don’t realize how many actually have safe water. A majority already have safe drinking water at home today, but you believe it’s few. It must be difficult for you to imagine a future where everyone has it.
You were wrong just like 82% of people
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Life on land
Of all the area that was tropical rainforest 100 years ago worldwide, how much is still tropical rainforest today?
- Less than 10%
- Around 20%
- More than 30%
You are right
But 73% of people answer wrongly. They realize that lots of rainforest has been lost, but they underestimate how much remains.
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The rainforests haven’t all been destroyed… yet
You are right that a lot of the original tropical rainforest has been lost. But you underestimated how much still remains.
You were wrong just like 73% of people.
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ASK THE EXPERT:
Johan Rockström about planet positive
Professor Johan Rockström is one of the world’s most influential Earth scientists. As director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, he advises governments and businesses about the latest research on climate and biodiversity, and argues for better science communication.
Use the arrows below to select and hear Johan’s view on five hot topics on planet positive fashion.
ARE YOU A PLANET HERb?
Sustainable cities & communities
In 2020, there were around 68 cities in Africa with more than 1 million inhabitants. How many cities of this size will there be in Africa in 2030, according to UN experts?
- Fewer than 60
- Around 70
- More than 90
You are right
But 72% of people answer wrongly. Most people have missed that there will be more big cities in the future as the African population increases.
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Cities are growing in Africa too
You thought there would be slightly more big cities in Africa by 2030, but as the African population increases very fast, the number of big cities will too.
You were wrong just like 72% of people.
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Climate action
How much of the excess heat from global warming is captured in the oceans?
- Around 10%
- Around 50%
- Around 90%
You are right
But 90% of people answer wrongly. Most people are unaware that most global warming is hiding in the seas. As long as they think global warming is all about air temperature, they won’t realize the size of the problem.
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Don’t look for global warming outside your window.
Most people are unaware that most global warming is hiding in the seas. If you think your local weather shows you global warming, you don’t realize the size of the problem. Most of it is hiding in the oceans.
You were wrong just like 90% of people.
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Partnership for the goals
Of all financial aid received by the least developed countries, how much comes from charity and philanthropy?
- Around 5%
- Around 25%
- Around 50%
You are right
But 78% of people answer wrongly. They overestimate the aid from private charities to the poorest countries.
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Almost all aid comes from tax.
We hear a lot about charities and it’s easy to get the impression that their contribution to the poorest countries is much more than 5%.
You were wrong just like 78% of people.
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IDEA TODAY, REALITY TOMORR8W
We want to transform fashion and make it planet positive. That means creating an industry that benefits the planet instead of harming it and depleting its resources. Innovation has the power to do it, and previous GCA winners prove it. Already, several past winners are collaborating with global brands and businesses to transform the fashion industry. See some examples here.
“GCA started as a competition, in the mid-way turned into an accelerator and ended as a family. I believe there is no other place you want to be if you are creating something that will have a huge impact.“
Luciano Bueno, founder GALY, GCA winner 2020
GCA Alumni Network →
Meet our heroes – our 30 past winners who are part of the GCA Alumni Network – and find out how their innovations are reinventing the fashion industry.
ARE YOU A PLANET HERB?
Affordable & clean energy
Of all renewable energy used in the world today, what share comes from traditional burning of biomass like charcoal, wood and agricultural waste?
- Around 10%
- Around 25%
- Around 40%
You are right
But 80% of people answer wrongly. They seem to think that renewable means only the wind and sun, while in fact a lot of renewable energy comes from burning fuels found around the home.
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Renewable often means fire
When we hear renewable, we often think of wind and solar energy. We easily forget the most commonly used renewable: Burning wood and waste.
You were wrong just like 80% of people
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Life on land
What share of all agricultural land worldwide is used for feeding animals?
- Roughly 25%
- Roughly 50%
- Roughly 80%
You are right
But 78% of people answer wrongly. They don’t realize that most farmland is used for animals.
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Lots of meat land
You believed a small portion of all land that farmers use is for animals, but it’s actually almost all of it.
You were wrong just like 78% of people.
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Climate action
What happens to the CO2 level in the atmosphere if we halve the annual emissions today?
- It increases
- It stays the same
- It decreases
You are right
But 68% of people answer wrongly. They have no idea how slowly the natural process is at removing carbon from the atmosphere.
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A little more, means increase
As long as we emit any CO2 it keeps accumulating, because the natural process for removing it is super slow, and we don’t have an effective way to capture it.
You were wrong just like 68% of people.
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