Fashion to protect environment

Eighty-six fashion companies have asked political leaders around the world to partner with them to deliver effective and ambitious climate action, as part of an event celebrating one year of the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action.

The call was made at the ongoing 25th Conference of Parties (COP25) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in this Spanish capital. The summit, with delegates from 200 countries, including India, is expected to finalise rules governing the 2015 Paris Agreement that formally kicks the next year.

The communique from the fashion companies calls for a partnership with political leaders of countries with major fashion production and consumer markets, to create enabling policy environments that will bring the industry in line with the goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

"The climate crisis is one of the most important issues to tackle. As a global fashion retailer, we have a big role to play and collaboration is key," CEO H&M Group Karl-Johan Persson said.

"All actors need to take responsibility to drive the change towards cutting emissions and staying within planetary boundaries. Companies need to commit to this change and governments need to facilitate the process with the right laws, regulations and implementation thereof."

The communique also identifies some concrete solutions related to renewable energy and calls for clear planning context for investment plans, availability of scaled-up grid-connected renewable energy sources, phasing-out of high-emitting fossil fuel-based sources of energy and incentives for the transition to renewables.

It is supported by all fashion charter companies and championed by CEOs of Aldo Group, Burberry, Esprit Group, H&M Group, Nike Inc., Puma SE, PVH Corp. and nine CEOs from brands, suppliers and retailers.

"The consequences of climate change are real for all of us. Nike is on our own journey toward a zero-carbon and zero waste future, but we know to accelerate the progress we need collective action across our industry," said Mark Parker, Chairman, President and CEO, NIKE Inc.

At the event held at the UN Climate Change annual conference, some of the biggest brands in fashion took to the stage to reaffirm their commitment to achieving at least 30 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across the whole value chain by 2030 and to scale renewable energy and climate programmes in key textile production countries.

Charter members recognize that current solutions and business models are not sufficient to deliver on the urgent need for climate action and have initiated an action-oriented roadmap to create mechanisms that will scale technical transformation within value chains, identify financial tools to fund that transformation and enhance collaboration with policymakers.

The Fashion Industry Charter brings together not only fashion brands, but manufacturers and retailers, logistics and investment companies and NGOs, and seeks to expand concrete engagement with all actors across the supply chain to transform to a sustainable industry.