Global fashion firms achieve progress in sustainability goals: Report

06 May '24

3 min read

The fashion industry has shown commendable progress in its sustainability efforts, according to the latest findings from the Project Retrospective Report. The report reveals that 76 per cent of the active Fashion Pact members have documented their sustainability progress in 2023. Among them, 52 per cent have established formal strategies, a dramatic increase from just 10 per cent two years prior. Additionally, 69 per cent are actively implementing measures to minimize their impact on nature and climate, particularly in the processes of harvesting fibres and other raw materials.

The project, titled ‘Transforming the Fashion Sector to Drive Positive Outcomes for Biodiversity, Climate, and Oceans,’ is a collaboration led by Conservation International, in partnership with The Fashion Pact (TFP) and supported by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).

Over the past three years, the project has documented significant advancements made by the 60-plius member companies of The Fashion Pact. These companies have been actively working towards sustainability goals that address critical environmental issues such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, ocean plastics, and fossil fuel usage, as per the report.

Launched at the 2019 G7 Summit in Biarritz, The Fashion Pact is the largest CEO-led sustainability initiative in the fashion sector, encompassing over 160 brands including prominent names like Kering, Inditex, J. Crew, H&M, and Ralph Lauren.

In 2021, Conservation International was awarded a $2 million grant by the GEF to aid the development and implementation of fashion-specific tools. These resources include guides, reporting mechanisms, and pilot projects, all designed to help Fashion Pact members create actionable, science-based strategies for their supply chains. These efforts complement existing sustainability measures within the industry.

This progress underscores the commitment of The Fashion Pact to enhancing environmental resilience across the fashion landscape. CEOs participating in the pact pledge that their companies—whether brands, suppliers, retailers, or manufacturers—will adhere to the roadmap set forth by The Fashion Pact. This roadmap aims to reduce and ultimately eliminate the fashion industry’s negative impacts on nature and climate. All participating companies are required to pursue sustainability through three primary pillars: biodiversity, climate, and oceans.

“This is a significant moment in the transition towards a nature-positive and net-zero fashion industry, as it means these brands not only agree on what they need to aim for, but also what is required to get there. Our work now is to accelerate the necessary action to reach the destination set out in these strategies and targets,” said Eva von Alvensleben, executive director, The Fashion Pact.

“As fashion consumption continues to grow, we’ve seen in real-time how the production of raw materials such as cotton, leather, wool, and cashmere as well as the process of creating, shipping and selling, and disposing of garments does lasting damage to the environment,” said Franklin Holley, director of sustainable fashion at Conservation International.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)

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