More brands than ever have committed to climate action during Climate Week. But as the latest, sombre Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report shows, climate impacts appear to be happening at a faster rate than even the most pessimistic of doom-mongers could have anticipated. Is it, therefore, time for radical solutions to compel the apparel industry to clean up its act? And, if so, what form should these take?
Below we put forward ten ideas for a cleaner fashion industry.
- Introduce a progressive sustainability tax on all apparel brand profits starting at 25 per cent. All money (which would run into tens of billions of dollars) would go to supporting suppliers – where most climate impacts are – switch to renewables and cleaner technologies
- Link all apparel brand CEO bonuses solely to meeting climate objectives
- Amalgamate all fashion climate initiatives into one, all-encompassing initiative which is heavily funded by brands, 100% independent, 100% per cent transparent and legally binding
- Criminalise misleading language and greenwashing by brands
- Introduce a new independent body, funded by brands, to track and monitor full supply chain transparency across the industry
- Ban carbon-offsetting as a means of meeting climate targets
- Ban the setting of sustainability ‘targets’ beyond a five-year framework
- Introduce urgent new, heavily funded LCAs for all fibre types (and standards) carried out by independent auditors with no industry conflicts
- Introduce minimum pricing bands for garment types and categories to drive a shift away from fast fashion
- Introduce huge tax-breaks for new, disruptive technologies aimed making fashion more sustainable
In our next printed magazine we are running a feature on what radical fashion sustainability might mean in an age where climate impacts appear to be reaching tipping point.
We’d love to hear your thoughts an ideas. Please email them to brett@apparelinsider.com