Designed in close collaboration with the licensing industry, the POC Partner Maturity Index efficiently captures and showcases key data from manufacturing partners, supporting brand owners and retailers across all sectors.
Marking Earth Day 2026 (22 April), Products of Change has launched its Partner Maturity Index (PMI) for the first time to the licensing industry to utilise and benefit from.
Built in partnership with Kids Industries and rolled out in collaboration with the Global Licensing Group and Informa, the PMI enables the licensing industry to collectively build a clearer, more aligned understanding of environmental maturity across its global partner network.
This industry-first tool is designed to unify and streamline sustainability data across the brand and licensing ecosystem, enabling a shared, structured view of environmental maturity across global supply chains.
For the first time, brand owners can understand where their partners are, licensees can benchmark their progress, and the industry can begin to move in greater alignment – reducing duplication, increasing transparency, and accelerating change.
As legislation accelerates, consumer expectations rise and the need for credible, comparable data becomes critical, the industry requires more than guidance – it requires systems that connect stakeholders, streamline data, and turn insight into action.
Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder and CEO of POC, says, “The POC Maturity Index is a two-year, industry-funded initiative. Phase one helps brand owners understand their partners’ sustainability journey, while Phase two enables licensed manufacturers to benchmark their own sustainability maturity against the industry and identify clear opportunities to progress.”
The index is aligned with the key impact areas that POC set out in its Sustainability Framework: a plan for the industry in alignment with the 2030 climate goals. As the licensees input their data, they are able to see where they sit compared to both the industry average, and where they need to be to hit the 2030 climate goals.
Jelena Stosic, strategy director at Kids Industries, explains, “At its core, this sheds light and provides data and insight in an area where we have very little in the way of diverse, in-depth, specific benchmarks. At the same time, it is an area where we ought to make better decisions and comply with regulations and legislation change. We’re here to support our partners and the industry in this process; we need to know where we are, what comes easier, what is more challenging, and what kind of progress is being made, to make those better decisions.”
The Maturity Index simplifies the process for both the brand owners and the licensees and provides a single tool for the industry to use. POC is giving this tool free for its members to use and for its brand members to access. And any licensee that works with any brand throughout the industry can fill this in whether they’re a member or not, and they’ll be able to see their score.
“We’re looking at how we can take the industry on a journey over the next five to ten years,” comments Helena, “and that journey or evolution is what the scoring for the Maturity Index is based on.
“As it is rolled out across the industry, the Index can accommodate all brand owners and agents, allowing them to benchmark their sustainability success, pinpoint key focus areas, and track their progress over the coming years – ultimately enabling the entire industry to reduce its environmental impact.”
Products of Change will review the data each year and compile report on where the industry is at and where it needs to be, with anonymised data. Jelena adds, “The kind of data the Maturity Index captures is very broad: from how sustainability teams are formed, to legislation awareness, to energy practices, product and packaging composition, sustainability targets and more – and knowing where we are with that, as well as how we are progressing, is what we hope to provide.”
Not only does this data greatly benefit the businesses who utilise it, but it will allow Products of Change to better understand the progress of the industry and support on the areas that need more focus.
By taking part, companies are not only supporting their own business but are helping to build the infrastructure that will enable the entire industry to progress on its sustainable transition.
The Global Licensing group is a proud partner of Products of Change and is supporting the launch of the Partner Maturity Index. The Global Licensing Group is committed to advancing the industry by championing sustainability and innovation. Supporting initiatives like the POC Partner Maturity Index empowers the licensing community to address critical challenges, embrace meaningful change, and build a more resilient and forward-thinking future. A preview of the index will be shown at the POC stand.
“Sustainability is a fundamental pillar of the licensing industry, and at the Global Licensing Group, we are dedicated to advancing initiatives that promote social good, eco-consciousness, and giving back to our communities,” shares Anna Clarke, senior vice president of the Global Licensing Group. “Licensing Expo is proud to serve as a platform for innovation and collaboration, showcasing how our industry can lead the way in creating a more sustainable and socially responsible future.”
Products of Change will be spotlighting the Partner Maturity Index at Licensing Expo (19-21 May), as well as hosting a panel on stage at the Networking Hub 16:00-16:45, Wednesday 20 May, exploring “Why Sustainability is now Core to Brand Licensing,” alongside industry leaders from Disney, Universal Music Group, and Nobody’s Child. POC will be continuing its activation on the show floor with innovation spotlights on its stand (O235), including groundbreaking solutions from Disney, Organic Sound, RDP, Material Rebellion, Baneco, Movopack, and BioFluff.
For more information on Products of Change and its Partner Maturity Index, contact hello@productsofchange.com or visit www.productsofchange.com/maturity-index-2.
