Canopy's Hot Button Progress Report 2026 Highlights Both Growth and Urgency for Next Generation Fibres
Published:
Author:
Laura Repas
Topic:
Campaign:
Type:
Published:
Author: Laura Repas
- Topic:Textile Industry
- Campaign:CanopyStyle
- Type: Media release
Sector sees progress with more Green Shirt producers and expanded Next Gen product lines, even as forest fires, extreme weather, tariffs, and geopolitical uncertainties destabilize the traditional supply chain
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 22, 2026: Environmental nonprofit Canopy has released Hot Button Progress Report 2026, a simplified version of its annual assessment of Man-Made Cellulosic Fibre (MMCF) producers. Following last year's landmark tenth edition of the Hot Button Report, this year’s streamlined update sets the stage for a full revision of Hot Button criteria in 2027. The 2026 progress report tracks continued gains in the sector, while underscoring an increasingly urgent case for brands and producers to invest in Next Generation fibres, as climate change and geopolitical factors put growing pressure on the reliability and cost of conventional forest-based fibre supply.
Canopy's annual Hot Button Report uses a shirt colour rating system to help brands better understand MMCF supply chains by assessing producers based on their commitment to eliminating Ancient and Endangered Forests from their supply and making the move to more circular inputs. This year, 22 of 28 producers achieved Green Shirt status, bringing the share of Green Shirt producers to 79%, up from 70% in 2025. Total Green Shirt production capacity dipped slightly, from 54% to 53% of global output, following company closures and consolidations.
The update also points to expanding momentum behind Next Gen fibres, which are made from alternative feedstocks such as recycled textiles, agricultural residues, and certified bamboo rather than forest pulp. There are now 20 Next Gen product lines on the market, up from 16 in 2025, with Chinese producers responsible for 12 of these lines.
The Hot Button Progress Report 2026 update shows that MMCF producers have built real capacity for a more resilient, circular future. Forest fibre supply is becoming less and less reliable every year because of climate change, changing regulations, and geopolitical uncertainties. Brands and producers need to shift meaningful volume to Next Gen fibres in order to future-proof their supply chains. Economic modelling reinforces that acting now is a no-regret pathway.
- Nicole Rycroft
Founder and Executive Director of Canopy
The full update to Hot Button criteria, reflecting a decade of sector progress, will be launched for the 2027 Hot Button Report following extensive consultation with producers, brands, and other supply chain stakeholders.
Read the 2026 Hot Button Progress Report
For more information, please contact:
Laura Repas, Senior Communications Specialist, Canopy
+1 416-729-7484
communications@canopyplanet.org
About Canopy
Canopy is a solutions-driven environmental non-profit dedicated to protecting the world’s forests, species, and climate. Working with more than 1,000 global brands, producers, and innovators, Canopy drives supply chain transformation and scales Next Gen Solutions to reduce reliance on climate-critical forests.
