The pact for a more sustainable fashion industry

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Planet
Posted 27 August, 2019

By Sofia Phillips

London, UK

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CEO of luxury group Kering, François-Henri Pinault, debuted a ‘Fashion Pact’ at this year’s G7 summit that aims to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry.

I’m sure you know by now that the fashion industry has a sustainability problem. If you’ve somehow missed out on the details, it’s now officially the largest global consumer of water according to the UN Environment and generates ‘more greenhouse gas emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.’

It’s also pretty notorious for how much waste it produces – one garbage truck every minute to be exact. Unbelievable, right? Given the scale of the problem it’s not gone unnoticed. Several brands and designers around the world have begun to make a conscious effort to be eco-friendlier and more of us are second-hand shopping than ever before.

Stella McCartney has pushed for more sustainable practices over the years, in July Zara shared its plans to become ‘more sustainable’, and France recently announced that it would ban the burning of textile goods. It’s certainly all a huge step in the right direction for the industry.

So, how’s the G7 involved?

Meeting annually to ‘exchange ideas on possible solutions’ to international crises, it makes a lot of sense that the G7 would listen to French President Emmanuel Macron’s request to confront the impact of fashion on the environment.

Alongside Pinault, who was selected to assemble a group of brands willing to get on board with a greener solution, Macron – who hosted this year’s summit – successfully presented a set of objectives that the fashion industry can work towards in order to reduce its environmental impact.

Now, 32 major companies and some 150 brands including Gucci, H&M, and Chanel (to name just a few) are joining forces to save our planet.

Luxury designer brand or fast-fashion retailer, the ‘Fashion Pact’ will force brands to combat the industry’s negative impact on ‘climate, biodiversity, and the oceans.’

Dictating that the companies who have signed must ‘eliminate single-use plastics by 2030 and back textile innovations to mitigate microfiber pollution,’ the pact is set to reduce carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050.

‘We are proud to be part of this initiative,’ says designer, Ferruccio Ferragamo. ‘Thanks to the Fashion Pact, for the first time, major fashion industry players are joining forces to take on the largest environmental challenges of our century. Meeting today’s needs without preventing future generations from meeting theirs is an immense challenge that we must all resolve together.’

Despite the fact that things like this can sometimes feel as if they won’t actually happen, the global commitments that were outlined in the pact do suggest that the companies involved are serious.

Assuming that the brands unite in their efforts to reach the goals they have been set, they should start making a visible difference quite soon. Personally, it’s about time that big industries started trying to adapt their methods of production and waste, especially given the current climate situation.

Sofia Phillips

Feature Media Manager & Senior Writer London, UK

Sofia (She/Her) – I’m the Feature Media Manager and a Senior Writer at Thred, specialising in exclusive articles and live interviews, fashion and beauty with a focus on sustainability, women’s rights, psychedelics, and Latin America. I studied Spanish at the University of Exeter and International Journalism at City, London. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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