Robin Cornelius is founder and chairman of Switcher, a Swiss textile company. Today, he co-owns the company with PGC (Prem Group), Switcher’s Indian partner for almost three decades. Switcher cooperates with Fair Wear Foundation, Max Havelaar, myclimate, Öko-Tex and other standard setting organisations. As an industry pioneer, the company has developed CO2 and H2O indexes for textile products. The online transparency service respect-code.org was launched in 2006.
Tell us the story of your latest project. What has been occupying you in the last 6 months?
After 30 years in textile business analyzing the development of the global economy, the appearance of new concern about the planet will require a new ethic of the end consumer. This led me to write about that on a book that will go out next spring. The idea we would like to bring to TEDxZurich is about traceability. It is important because with the renewal of technology information there is no reason that the end consumers have no access to any kind of info regarding consumer goods or services.
It’s important for me that bringing total information to end consumers through DNA code will allow him to decide with his own consciousness if the act of purchasing this product is in accordance with his values (social and environmental conditions for instance).
The impact will be global and huge. In the next generations we will not be able to afford any waste of resources nor tolerate any kind of lack of respect in terms of workers’ social conditions. I strongly believe that this is my mission for the second part of my life.
