Home Fashion Fashion Revolution continues to demand more responsibility from fashion – Fashion Revolution...

Fashion Revolution continues to demand more responsibility from fashion – Fashion Revolution – CartaCapital

45
0

The year 2023 closed with a busy environmental agenda: two intense weeks of Conference of the Parties (COP 28)the largest auction of oil wells in Brazil, approval of the Temporal Framework and the Poison Package. The year passed, but the demands of Fashion Revolution remain the same: the fashion industry’s commitment to its socioclimatic responsibility. Energy transition, decarbonization, transparency and fair wages are some of the demands of the largest fashion activism movement in the world.

Processes in the fashion supply chain can be extremely water, chemical and energy intensive. According to the Brazilian Fashion Transparency Index 2023 (ITMB23), synthetic fibers account for 62% of the fibers used in the fashion industry. Derived from oil, they expose the sector’s strong dependence on fossil fuels. “There is a correlation between the growth in polyester production and the dramatic increase in clothing production, as overproduction demands the availability of cheaper raw materials”, highlights the report.

One of the demands of Fashion Revolution is for the fashion industry to commit to aligned climate goals with the UN’s Net-zero (net emissions) recommendations. This means a 55% reduction in supply chain emissions by 2030 and a significant shift away from the fossil industry. However, the sector is heading in exactly the opposite direction: according to ITMB23, if changes are not made, by 2030, 73% of the fabrics produced will be made from petroleum.

A responsibility of the fashion industry in the climate crisis It’s undeniable and that’s why Fashion Revolution was present at COP 28, with one of its ten members being the executive director of Fashion Revolution Brasil, Fernanda Simon. “Each team’s actions tend to be local, so we are immersed in the problems of our territory. When we have these opportunities to exchange, we know the pains, challenges and solutions achieved by other teams, it makes us learn and evolve”, he says.

Fernanda recalls that, despite the fossil lobby, the event was a mix of colors and representation of climate activists, which shows the potential of civil society in battle against the climate crisis. “Sometimes, we think that because it is a distant country, it is far from our reality. But we end up seeing, in these exchanges, that the solutions we seek are often in the same place”, he states. She cites as an example the place of ancestral knowledge.

Non-event How to Clothe 10 Billion People SustainablyFernanda highlighted the direct relationship between Brazilian fashion and the environment. “In the Amazon, leather is directly linked to deforestation. In the Cerrado, cotton has been one of the reasons for the devastation of the biome”, he explained. The lack of commitment to this reality appears in the ITMB23 numbers: of the 60 largest brands present in Brazilian territory, only 10% disclose a measurable and time-bound commitment to zero deforestation and less than half (45%) publish their own annual emissions facilities.

Demands

O Fashion Revolution works towards an industry that conserves and restores the environment and values ​​people above growth and profit, mobilizing citizens, brands and decision makers. This positioning is clear within the demands highlighted at COP 28. Among the main points are: zero deforestation, reduction of emissions, transparency, hyperproduction and decent work.
One of the items states: “tell us how and where your clothes were made, how many were produced and their environmental impacts”, “disclose your annual production volumes”, and disclose the prices you pay suppliers for each item and how many workers they actually receive a minimum wage.” The text reinforces that any significant goal in terms of decarbonization must address excessive volumes of production and excessive consumption and that there is no sustainable fashion without fair remuneration.

The reality, on Brazilian soil, remains below: while only 40% of the biggest fashion brands operating in Brazil disclose the quantity of products produced annually, none publish the annual salary difference of their employees from a racial perspective, considering the distribution by positions . Transparency gives visibility to human rights and environmental issues.

The fashion industry’s revenue continues to increase: one of the highest-scoring brands in ITMB23, C&A, doubled the profits in the 2nd half of 2023. And, worldwide, the sector do more than US$2.5 trillion in annual sales. “Clothes are cultural manifestations that can contribute to the construction of new narratives and systemic transformations that are so urgent in our society”, says Fernanda”, the road is still long, but seeing so many organizations and activists gathered together, showing their work and committed to doing the difference encourages us to do our part and gives us hope for a better future.”

(The Fashion Revolution Institute thanks Fundo Brasil, the organization that made our participation in COP28 possible)

Source link