France is the first European country to set out in law a single indicator of the environmental impact of clothing: the coût environnemental. It is not mandatory, but since 1 October 2026 its rules have become stricter.
What it is
Decree No. 2025-957 of 6 September 2025, together with its implementing order, sets out how to calculate and communicate the coût environnemental of most clothing items. It is expressed in points: the lower the number, the lower the impact.
The calculation covers the whole life cycle, from raw materials to end of life, using the impact categories of the European PEF methodology. It adds two categories that increase the cost: textile waste exported outside Europe and microfibre release. Before the value is displayed, the data must be filed on a public portal.
Voluntary, with one condition
The scheme started on a voluntary basis on 1 October 2025: no brand is required to calculate its coût environnemental. However, anyone who communicates an indicator of a garment’s environmental impact must also show the coût environnemental alongside it.
What changed on 1 October 2026
- The pairing always applies. Before, the obligation applied only if the producer had already calculated and communicated the coût environnemental; from this date it applies in every case.
- Others can publish it too. Retailers, comparison platforms, NGOs or media can calculate and publish a garment’s coût environnemental without the brand’s consent, under the same conditions. If the brand calculates its own value, third parties must align with it.
Why it matters to Italian brands
Anyone selling in France who communicates an impact figure, such as a carbon footprint, on their website or hang tag must take this into account. And even those who communicate nothing may find a value calculated by others, possibly on estimated data.
In both cases the answer is the same: know your supply chain well enough to calculate a value with real data, and to be able to defend it.