COP 29: THE BIG CLIMATE QUESTIONS FOR FASHION
The UN’s annual Climate Change Conference (COP29) held in Baku, Azerbaijan between November 11 and 22 comes at a volatile moment for the fashion industry’s sustainability efforts. The progress the sector is making on reaching its climate commitments is currently under scrutiny as well as how close it is to meeting its overarching goal, in order to effectively tackle climate change within the set timeframe.
According to the Fashion Industry Charter established with the support of UN Climate Change in 2018, the mission is to drive the fashion industry to net-zero emissions by 2050, aligning with global efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. On the brink of dangerous climate change, immediate action is required by the fashion sector. But doubts are being cast whether the industry can meet its ambitious goals. It is in fact on track to miss its key goal as according to the UN Fashion Charter, there is still a long way to go and questions are being raised about impact and accountability.
Fashion reality check
Fashion’s hidden environmental footprint extends across every stage of the value chain. The industry currently produces an estimated 2.1 billion tonnes of carbon emissions annually - equivalent to 10% of global carbon emissions. Concerning water pollution, it is also responsible for 20% of global wastewater, mainly from textile dyeing, and accounts for 9% of annual synthetic microfiber pollution. Morevover, 85% of textiles end up in landfills after minimal use - garments are worn an estimated 36% less than 15 years ago and used an approximate 7-10 times before disposal.
Time to reshape the narrative
At the opening of the conference UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, said it is time to “flip the script”: “This UNFCCC process is the only place we have to address the rampant climate crisis, and to credibly hold each other to account to act on it. And we know this process is working. Because without it, humanity would be headed towards five degrees of global warming. […] In the past few years, we’ve taken some historic steps forward. We cannot leave Baku without a substantial outcome. Appreciating the importance of this moment, Parties must act accordingly.”
(Marc Asensio/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Fashion remains far off track
On Saturday, November 16, at COP 29 the discussion focused on fashion - with the event “Weaving Net Zero into Fashion’s Future” featuring an esteemed panel of industry experts. Notably, keynote speakers included Henrik Sundberg, Impact Lead, Climate – Global Sustainability, H&M Group, Lewis Perkins, President & CEO, Apparel Impact Institute, Jens Nielsen, CEO, World Climate Foundation and Shameek Ghosh, Co-founder and CEO, TrusTrace.
In her introductory speech, the panel’s moderator Anna Sundlöf Eriksson, Senior Project Manager, Business Sweden, said that “according to a recent study two thirds of fashion brands are actually behind their schedules for decarbonization and are actually experiencing increases in their emissions.”
Lewis Perkins, President & CEO, Apparel Impact Institute, answering a question of where the industry stands said a lot of the brands have made a lot of progress on some of the initiatives such as energy efficiency and identifying tier one (manufacturing) suppliers - and that the industry is poised and ready to do the work, “but when you are working in it you know that we are far away from where we need to be”. As he noted, especially regarding carbon emissions, things are more challenging as a lot of the brands might not know where the fabric or material of their suppliers might have been sourced. This raises an issue of traceability of the supply chain and brands need to become become more strategic of data regarding their suppliers - he added.
Shameek Ghosh, Co-founder and CEO, TrusTrace mentioned the need for better financing via innovative data-driven initiatives to provide incentives for suppliers to become more climate conscious and scale the efforts to power decarbonization in fashion’s supply chains.
Henrik Sundberg, Impact Lead, Climate – Global Sustainability, H&M Group mentioned the importance of traceability and close collaboration with the suppliers for efficient tracking in order to overcome scaling barriers and leverage data: “We collect energy data on a monthly basis from our suppliers and we know how much electricity they use, what fuels they use and what they use them for - so we have a pretty good picture of what are the challenges out there”. At H&M Group, as he mentioned, they also have a team at the facilities for more strength and access to the data - to then create a roadmap with the suppliers of where they need to go - and what to improve. However he noted that there are challenges to scaling the metrics and at the moment - the goal is not to obtain generic data that results in generic action, but to obtain specific data for specific action.
Jens Nielsen, CEO, World Climate Foundation, when asked how can fashion learn from other industries and what can it contribute to other industries he highlighted the importance of financing as a powerful tool and how it can act towards making a change in terms of sustainability. He added that ESG funds give a higher return than non ESG funds and investors know that - “there is an awareness that the more ESG you apply the better return on investment you get.”
A redirection of course - COP 30 outlook
The overarching feeling was that brands need to reevaluate, accelerate and closely monitor their commitment towards sustainable fashion and effective climate action. At the same time, implementation gaps (applicability) need to be bridged and further financing incentives must be provided. By COP 30, the speakers mentioned that they hope for 1) better verification of data: “the value of data will be much higher to better monitor the supply chain” (Shameek), 2) traceability: “the breakthrough would be enhancing the relationship between the brand and the supplier” (Lewis), 3) flexibility - holistic approach: “a time when we start engaging the consumers in this discussion” (Jens), and 4) legislation: “efficient and impactful legislation – we see a little progress but not it is not enough” (Henrik).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
NICOLE ZENIOU
Nicole Zeniou is a Contributing Fashion Features Editor at Bungalow 28, joining in 2024. Previously the Fashion Features Editor at Madame Figaro Cyprus, she has contributed to titles like Marie Claire Greece, Cosmopolitan Cyprus, and The Cyprus Weekly. Founder of the online interview magazine The Éditor, Nicole is passionate about blending creative disciplines and supporting international talent. She has interviewed leading fashion figures such as LaQuan Smith, David Koma, Casey Cadwallader, Lorenzo Serafini, and Mary Katrantzou.
Bungalow 28 is a tech and creative agency dedicated to fashion, luxury and cultural brands worldwide.