Fashion giants take on climate change

The global fashion sector on Monday significantly increased momentum to address climate change by launching the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action.

Under the UN climate change, leading fashion brands, retailers, supplier organisations, and others, including a major shipping company, have agreed to collectively address the climate impact of the fashion sector across its entire value chain.

Forty-three leaders, including Adidas, Burberry, Esprit, Guess, Gap Inc. Hugo Boss, H&M Group and Inditex; leading membership organizations, including Business for Social Responsibility, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, China National Textile and Apparel Council, Outdoor Industry Association and Textile Exchange; global logistics company Maersk; and global NGO WWF International have committed to implementing or supporting the 16 principles and targets that underpin the Fashion Climate Charter.

The charter, which is open for other companies and organizations to join, recognizes the crucial role that fashion plays on both sides of the climate equation; as a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and as a sector with multiple opportunities to reduce emissions while contributing to sustainable development.

Aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement, the charter contains the vision for the industry to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and defines issues that will be addressed by signatories, ranging from decarbonisation of the production phase, selection of climate-friendly and sustainable materials, low-carbon transport, etc.

To make concrete progress on these commitments, six working groups have been established in which signatories will work to define steps for implementation.

The signatories are not waiting for these issues to be fully elaborated and have set an initial target to reduce their aggregate greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 and have defined concrete measures, such as phasing out coal-fired boilers or other sources of coal-fired heat and power generation in their own companies and direct suppliers from 2025.

“The fashion industry is always two steps ahead when it comes to defining world culture, so I am pleased to see it now also leading the way in terms of climate action,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa.

PUMA CEO Bjorn Gulden said: “We are aware that more than 90 per cent of PUMA’s carbon footprint is being generated in shared supply chains. If we want to reduce carbon emissions in our supply chains, we need to work together with our industry peers.”

In early 2018, fashion leaders volunteered to shape a climate movement through discussions in working groups chaired by PUMA SE and H&M Group.

The launch on Monday, during the critical UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) in this Polish city reflects genuine sectoral buy-in and is a clarion call to the fashion industry globally to sign-up to climate action.