Building a cloud system to reduce fashion's environmental impact
We custom-built Google Fibre Impact Explorer, an intelligent cloud-based tool, so leading fashion brands could easily make more sustainable choices.
Challenge
In partnership with the WWF and Google Cloud, we created Google’s Global Fibre Impact Explorer (GFIE), an intelligent GCP tool that revealed the environmental cost of global fashion.
The tool was designed to help brands understand complex sustainability issues. For example, if conventional cotton sourced from one region came with a higher risk of air pollution, GFIE could flag this and offer alternatives to reduce impact.
The tool also encouraged manufacturers and fashion brands to upload their fiber portfolios. Each fiber was given an overall score, ranking its environmental impact in terms of its risk to air pollution, climate, water usage and quality, and forests and biodiversity.
Drawing on Google and the WWF's product vision and initial sketches, we designed and engineered the product. We were responsible for:
- Identifying data sources
- Architecture
- ETL pipelines
- User experience
- Application development
We knew the tool needed to highlight crucial information that would influence purchasing decisions simply and accurately. To achieve that, we needed to break down complex data sets into accessible insights.
The product also needed to leverage good quality data to successfully enable users to make more informed decisions. Huge geospatial computations on global datasets provided by organizations such as NASA were both resource intensive and complex, taking a significant amount of time to develop and launch.
Building a complex system required collaboration with domain experts, translating scientific calculations and requirements into automated and technical procedures.
Beyond quickly understood the vision for the Global Fibre Impact Explorer. Their passion and expertise is one of the main reasons why we decided to collaborate with them. They get what it takes to design and engineer intelligent products using Google Cloud services.
Maria McClay, Former Director of Fashion and Beauty at Google Cloud
Solutions
Our solutions came from both our expertise in data science and architecture.
- Complex data gathered from reputable sources such as the UN, Climate Watch, Google Earth Engine, the WHO, CCPI, and more formed the backbone of this tool.
- We built a custom tool that ingested information on key sustainability metrics such as air pollution and water consumption for different raw materials.
- Debugging these long running and difficult computations was reduced by utilizing an extensive testing strategy and software design phase.
- Performed a manual review of data sources and available APIs.
- Transformed them into a format that end users could use to understand impact.
- Implemented a friendly interface for end users.
Our choice of technology was driven by a relentless focus on simplicity, reliability and performance. This resulted in the system being delivered on time and surpassing expectations.
By the end of the engagement, we handed over to a client partner for further development.
Technologies
In addition to Angular, we used Google Cloud, including:
- Google Cloud
- Cloud CDN
- Cloud DataStore
- Cloud Storage
- Cloud Run
- Cloud Build
- Compute
- Earth Engine
Impact
Drawing on Google and the WWF's product vision, Beyond designed and engineered a product to transform sustainability practices across the fashion industry.
By showing fashion brands the environmental impact of their decisions, the tool guided them towards greener choices and assisted them in finding more eco-friendly sources.
- Thanks to up-to-date local data insights, users could explore risks associated with their fiber portfolios at a granular level.
- The methodology was reviewed by global experts from across an external council, which included WWF, Canopy, Conservation International, FSC, IUCN, Textile Exchange and The Biodiversity Consultancy.
- The tool also armed brands with the information needed to improve the rating of their fiber portfolio.
- As well as Stella McCartney, a range of other leading brands and retailers tested the platform, including Adidas, Allbirds, H&M Group, and VF Corporation.
