Is the Fashion Industry Moving Fast Enough Toward Sustainability?
There might not be a Seinfeld-esque “Sustainability Now!” mantra to provide instant sustainability to all those who demand it, but there are plenty of thoughtful, deliberate paths to get there—including short- and long-term buy-in from international suppliers, brands, retailers and consumers. But is environmental and social progress moving fast enough?
According to Kerry Bannigan, executive director of the Fashion Impact Fund, only 12 of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDG) targets are on track and “we have stalled or gone into reverse on more than 30 percent of the SDGs.” Blame some years lost on the pandemic, but it’s also become apparent that the road to 2030 was a bit longer—with tougher terrain to traverse—than many had expected.
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Global affair
Fashion is a global affair, which is why executives from across the globe are stepping up to the plate, weighing in on important sustainability and social topics like Bangladesh’s lagging worker rights and wages. As the world’s second-largest clothing exporter—China’s the first—Bangladesh is vital to the fashion industry. In 2022, its nearly 4,000 export-oriented factories shipped out $426 billion worth of garments.
As Ranjan Mahtani, founder and executive chairman of Epic Group, a Hong Kong-based garment manufacturer whose operations span Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Vietnam, put it, “Bangladesh should always look toward the next step because yesterday’s best is not good enough today.”
Southeast Asia, where many garments are produced, is nonetheless making substantial strides toward a more sustainable future. In India, the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) is putting India’s sustainable initiatives on the map with its “Sustainability Road Show.” This road show, passing through the larger clusters of Indian export manufacturers is a first-of-its-kind “sensitization” process created in an attempt to change the current way of thinking, stressing the urgency of the European Union (EU) norms.
China is also taking on textile waste with its new textile recycling program called the “Reborn-China Fibre Zero Carbon Action 2023-Sustainable Textiles Credible Platform.” Jointly run by the China Chemical Fibres Association and the National Advanced Functional Fibre Innovation Centre, the new platform is part of a move to establish China’s recycled fiber standard certification system, and its brief is to promote green products and get more consumers to buy them.
“Generally, all the countries are pushing for sustainability targets, and we need to have this done as soon as possible,” said Narendra Goenka, chairman at AEPC. “We’ve realized we need to inform all our members and be better able to share what we are doing.”
Brands and retailers
Of course, brands and retailers are an important piece to the sustainability conversation, and some companies are doing a better job of achieving their goals than others, setting blueprints the laggards would be wise to follow. Two retailers that have made sustainability a part of their ethos are Reformation and Everlane.
Each year—as a certified climate-neutral company—Reformation measures its carbon emissions and offsets 100 percent of its footprint in its impact report. The measurements incorporate its “RefScale,” a methodology developed by the brand in 2015 and verified by Sustainable Business Consulting.
In the California brand’s latest impact report, it highlights its circularity goals, intending to be a circular fashion brand by 2030. The brand centers future hopes on circular fashion around its clothing being designed for circularity, worn often, kept in use and made with better materials.
Everlane is closing in on B Corp certification, according to the California fashion label built on the premise of “radical transparency.”
The news comes as the brand’s second annual impact report details an accelerating transition to sustainable inputs. Released on Earth Day, the report indicates that Everlane, which says it should be a B Corp by quarter’s end, spent much of last year developing a supply chain to source eco-friendlier raw materials.
“We’re really excited to share a lot of progress that we’ve been able to make, specifically around the adoption of preferred fibers and materials,” sustainability director Katina Boutis told Sourcing Journal.
Consumer’s role
And what role do consumers play in all this? According to a survey by shopping rewards app Shopkick, only about half of respondents said they would still buy from a brand that wasn’t committed to sustainability, and 23 percent said they’d hold off on purchasing until the label produces a greener alternative.
Additionally, shoppers around the globe are displaying a greater affinity for semi-personalized, made-to-order products that eliminate overproduction. Now it’s up to the brands to shift their mindset to deliver.
Download our 2023 Sustainability Report to get a deeper understanding on why sustainability is more important than ever before, and what can be done now for a more sustainable world in 2030. Also, touching on these topics and more, we gathered stakeholders at our April Sustainability Summit to discuss technology’s role in the sustainability conversation, why sustainability can’t be achieved without traceability, the current resale economy and so much more. The panels are recapped in our special section.
