91.18% of specialized and innovative textile enterprises have initiated green investments, yet only about one-third have conducted carbon inventories, and over 70% lack a dual-carbon roadmap—this contrast emerges from a 2024-2025 industry survey. It implies that while green transformation has gained broad consensus among SMEs, implementation remains shallow, often limited to equipment upgrades, with systemic carbon management capabilities widely missing.
Background
On August 14, a technology promotion and matchmaking event focused on 'specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative' green development was held in Xinxiang, Henan Province. Hosted by the China Finance, Trade, Light Industry, and Textile Workers' Union, with co-organizers including Xinxiang Chemical Fiber, the event's theme was 'Innovation and Efficiency for Collective Wisdom, Green Transformation for a New Journey.' Participants from industry associations, research institutes, and supply chain enterprises gathered to explore green technology diffusion. Xinxiang's role as a central plains textile new materials hub is no coincidence—local enterprises have already achieved breakthroughs in bio-based fibers, offering replicable models for the industry.
At the event, a vice president of the China National Textile and Apparel Council emphasized that green low-carbon transformation has become an inevitable choice for enhancing industrial competitiveness during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with SMEs accounting for over 90% of enterprises being key actors. Currently, nearly 500 specialized and innovative enterprises are in the cultivation database, of which 91% have made green investments and 43% offer low-carbon products or services. These figures indicate that such enterprises are becoming the backbone of green transformation, with their innovative practices serving as a demonstration for the entire industry.
Industrial Impact
Survey data show that 735 specialized and innovative textile enterprises have an average operating history of 19 years, with over half concentrated in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shandong, covering the entire chain from chemical fibers to dyeing and industrial textiles. In green transformation, enterprises face a mixed picture: on one hand, investments in clean energy and equipment renovation are active; on the other, carbon inventory coverage is low, dual-carbon roadmaps are missing, and emission reduction targets tend to be short-term. This implies that most enterprises have not yet integrated green strategy into long-term planning, and weak carbon management will become a potential shortfall in future compliance and market competition.
Addressing this, the report outlines five decarbonization pathways: source substitution with green bio-based/circular fibers, upgrading low-energy dyeing processes, distributed solar clean energy, digital energy-carbon management, and water-resource and material recycling. These pathways are not isolated but require combined implementation based on enterprise conditions. For example, in the melange yarn sector, traditional blending accuracy is only 3%-6%, while newly developed intelligent blending equipment can control error within ±0.5% and has been scaled across leading factories—technology upgrades translate directly into efficiency gains and cost advantages.
Zero-carbon factory construction is another critical lever. Experts suggest that enterprises should first map their full-process carbon emissions to solidify accounting foundations, then implement energy-saving retrofits with green processes and equipment. This requires parallel technical upgrades and management improvements, not merely purchasing eco-friendly devices. For buyers, this means future supply chain assessments will increasingly weigh suppliers' carbon management capabilities, not just final product metrics.