Global Standard, the nonprofit that owns and operates Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), is seeing a wider adoption of voluntary sustainability standards.
The Global Standard Annual Report 2025 reveals that the number of facilities certified by GOTS rose 15.3 percent year‑on‑year to 17,800 worldwide, spanning 95 countries. This growing reliance on such frameworks underscores the industry’s shift from symbolic commitments toward practical implementation of due diligence and credible sustainability practices.
Related Stories
Companies are also seeing business gains with GOTS certification. Global Standard’s annual survey found that 59 percent of survey respondents reported that the GOTS certification offered them an increase in business opportunities in 2025.
“In a year of significant regulatory change, our focus has been on strengthening systems that are practical, transparent and credible for global textile supply chains,” said Claudia Kersten, Global Standard managing director.
India has the most GOTS certified facilities (27.8 percent) followed by China, Turkey and Bangladesh.
In 2025, Global Standard received an ISEAL Innovations Fund Impulse grant to develop a GOTS due diligence training for auditors.
In the spring, the organization’s Standard Development Unit developed the training curriculum, with an emphasis on the practical applications of auditing for GOTS auditors, rather than theoretical concepts, the report explained. The pilot training program was conducted in June 2025, training 30 auditors from 17 Certification Bodies across 11 countries.
This GOTS Due Diligence Framework ensures that GOTS-Certified Entities meet evolving regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations.
Global Standard’s work is ever evolving. GOTS 8.0 was released in March 2026, with full implementation of the new version ramping up through the year. Mandatory adherence to the updated Standard begins on March 1, 2027.
Additionally, progress on a new standard, the Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS), is ongoing. This extends Global Standard’s system‑level approach beyond organic fibers.
The report also highlights the effectiveness of the organization’s GOTS awareness campaign called #Behindtheseams. In 2025, the campaign, which ranged from social media and educational materials to point-of-sale content, received over 290 million impressions and reached over 144 million consumers. The campaign’s dedicated multilingual website saw over 850,000 visitors.
“The #behindtheseams campaign brings visibility to all the work happening down the supply chain before a certified product ends up in your hands, showing how that little GOTS label stands for innovation, creditability and sustainability as consumers seek more transparency around what they buy,” said Holger Striph, Global Standard’s head of marketing.
The next campaign will take place Sept 1-30, 2026.
Despite strict labelling requirements and closer legal cooperation, misleading use of the GOTS certification claims persisted in 2025. The report details how Global Standard is monitor unauthorized, false or misleading uses of the GOTS registered trademark and other GOTS-related claims in advertisements and promotional materials.
Amazon USA generative the most complaints in 2025, followed by Amazon Germany.
To improve compliance, the report states that a mandatory Certified Entity training program has been integrated into the certification process. Completion of this training is now required to obtain certification and aims to address knowledge gaps among retailers regarding the lawful use of the trademark.
