The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that data is fast becoming a prerequisite for green claims by fashion brands and retailers, according to GlobalData, whose consumer sentiment tracker shows that between September 2019 and September 2020, 25 per cent more people said retailers placing a greater emphasis on sustainability appealed the most to them.

Another survey by Compare Ethics revealed 33 per cent of consumers would doubt a brand’s sustainability claim, with a further 33 per cent researching the claim to determine its validity.

“Consumers are now far more switched on to unsustainable social and environmental practices. However, they are no longer willing to take green efforts at face value; they want proof,” says Hannah Abdulla, apparel analyst at GlobalData.

“It’s no longer enough to say we source our cotton sustainably, or the production of our jeans uses three times less water than conventional methods. Today’s savvy consumer demands to know how that’s been measured and by who. It is more important than ever before that brands affiliate themselves with reputable, third-party firms that can provide that data,” she adds on GlobaData press release.

Most recently, sustainability technology company, Higg Co, unveiled its Open Data Portal, which provides access to the actual data behind social and environmental sustainability claims by global brands, retailers and manufacturers. In the United States, the Cotton Trust Protocol documents best management practices being used by American cotton farmers so that brands and retailers can measure progress and meet targets on sustainability.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

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