Sana Hastakala × StoryCycle
Mapping the Carbon Footprint
of Nepal’s Craft Sector
We’re tracing the lifecycle emissions of handmade knitwear (from wool to finished scarf) to build practical tools that help artisan organisations measure and reduce their carbon footprint.
Why It Matters
A Craft Sector Under Growing Scrutiny
Nepal’s handicraft sector provides livelihoods for thousands of artisans, many of them women and members of marginalised communities. Textile-based crafts, especially felt and wool products, make up the largest share of Nepal’s craft exports.
As international buyers ask harder questions about environmental accountability, and as Nepal transitions from Least Developed Country (LDC) status to a developing country in November 2026, understanding exactly where emissions occur (and where they don’t) has become essential for organisations like Sana Hastakala to stay competitive in global markets.
With support from the British Council’s Climate Futures South Asia grant, Sana Hastakala partnered with StoryCycle to answer that question for one of our most recognisable products: handmade wool knitwear.
The Carbon Toolkit
A Practical Framework for Measuring Carbon
StoryCycle’s process turns complex Life Cycle Assessment into a workflow artisan organisations can actually use: understand, map, measure, then apply.
Understand Carbon
Learn how lifecycle emissions accumulate from raw materials through to disposal.
Map the Life Cycle
Track a product's full journey using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
Measure Carbon
Apply recognised emission factors to calculate greenhouse gas output at each stage.
Apply the Results
Turn findings into practical changes that improve climate outcomes.
Case Study
Handmade Wool Knitwear
Wool knitwear is one of Nepal’s strongest handicraft export categories, which made it a natural starting point for a repeatable carbon assessment methodology.
Every stage was documented: sourcing raw wool, spinning, hand knitting, finishing, packaging, transportation, customer use, and eventual disposal, to build a complete picture of a single scarf’s environmental footprint.
Once validated, the same methodology can be adapted for felt goods, home décor, and other textile-based exports across Sana Hastakala’s producer network.
Life Cycle Assessment Findings
Where Do a Scarf’s Emissions Actually Come From?
The results were clear: the craft itself is not the problem. Nearly all emissions occur before a single stitch is knitted.
Raw Material Sourcing
Wool production and material sourcing are the single largest contributor to lifecycle emissions in a handmade scarf.
Transportation
Domestic logistics and international shipping account for the next largest share of the carbon footprint.
Hand Knitting
Manual knitting contributes less than 1% of total lifecycle emissions, a quiet argument for handmade over machine-made.
By building a carbon monitoring model around this data, Sana Hastakala aims to create tools that can be replicated across Nepal’s craft sector, helping organisations measure emissions, reduce climate risk, and demonstrate what handmade production already does well.
Industry Context
Nepal’s Craft Export Landscape
Textile-based handicrafts dominate Nepal’s craft exports, with felt and wool products representing the largest share, making them natural candidates for carbon verification and green market positioning.
The sector contributes significantly to employment, particularly for women, marginalised communities, and people with disabilities, while preserving generations of traditional craftsmanship. As Nepal graduates from LDC status, sustainability reporting and transparent supply chains are becoming a market expectation rather than a differentiator.
Largest handicraft export category
Growing buyer sustainability expectations
Nepal’s transition out of LDC status
Inherently low-emission by design
Collaboration
Project Partners
Made possible through a partnership between organisations committed to Nepal’s craft sector and climate action.
Sana Hastakala
Artisan organisation & production partner
StoryCycle
Research & lifecycle assessment
British Council
Climate Futures South Asia grant
Supporting Sustainable Craft
By understanding where emissions occur and how they can be reduced, Nepal’s craft sector can preserve traditional skills while meeting the expectations of future global markets. Climate action and cultural preservation can move forward together.