In recent years, scrutiny of the sustainability performance of all sectors of the global economy has intensified, as the impact of human activity on the planet and its climate has become increasingly understood, visible and alarming. The responsibility to respond to this challenge is urgent, and it will take the work and co-operation of all sectors of society – governments, corporations, NGOs, academia and each individual. The Trust Protocol recognized this need, and the initiative was conceived in the belief that the U.S. cotton industry must play its part in doing as much as it can to protect and preserve the planet, and in a way that is measurable and quantifiable.