ZDHC Brands to Zero 2026: Champion Level brands rise from 15 to 21

In its 2026 Brands to Zero Report, published on 15 October 2026, Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) assessed how ZDHC Signatory Brands are integrating sustainable chemical management into corporate governance and implementing it across their supply chains. In the assessment, independently conducted by KPMG Netherlands, 21 brands reached Champion Level, the highest level, compared with 15 in the previous assessment. According to ZDHC, these brands vary in size and business model, which shows that progress is not determined by purchasing power alone.

The proportion of brands requiring suppliers to provide ZDHC InCheck data rose from 75% to 91%, and the proportion monitoring this data from 87% to 91%. The proportion actively following up with suppliers increased from 60% to 74%. ZDHC says the results show that monitoring systems are becoming more widespread, but stresses that collecting data is not the same as acting on it.

Through the ZDHC Gateway, brands can access InCheck data on the conformance of chemical inventories with the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL), as well as ClearStream data on wastewater performance. Brands can also rely on a Level 2 outcome in the third-party assessed Supplier to Zero as proof that a supplier meets these requirements. The same data can support corporate due diligence and sustainability disclosures, although ZDHC points out that Brands to Zero data does not independently fulfil every regulatory requirement.

The report also sets out the next phase for the industry: closing the gap between monitoring and action, strengthening collaboration with suppliers and linking implementation to measurable environmental outcomes. That link is central to ZDHC’s 2030 ambition of achieving ZDHC MRSL conformance for 100% of chemical formulations used across the ZDHC community and 70% across the global industry. As ZDHC puts it, “the true measure of progress is not what we promise to change, but what we can demonstrate has changed.”