Mixed results for fashion in 2nd Remake report

LONDON – Remake World has released its second annual 2022 Remake Fashion Accountability Report which assesses dozens of the world’s leading fashion brands on progress in sustainability issues. This year’s report assessed 58 major fashion retailers, including new entries such as Chanel, J.Crew, and Allbirds.

A key finding of the report, says Remake, is that businesses are making bold promises on climate change, but progress has been limited. Only three companies (5 per cent) – Burberry, Everlane and H&M Group – met all four of Remake’s climate criteria. These are: disclosure of full emissions; short-term 1.5℃ pathway-aligned Science Based Targets; ambitious long-term net-zero targets; and a reduction in their total greenhouse gas emissions.

States the report: “As companies reveal their full supply chain emissions, the scale of the problem is clear: Inditex (Zara’s) annual emissions are equivalent, for example, to consuming 39 million barrels of oil.”

The report also claims the fashion industry is yet to “embrace degrowth” (it is unrealistic to think it ever will in truth). The report says: “A third of the assessed companies are reducing their packaging waste and 20 per cent now offer upcycling or repair services. Despite a rise in resale platforms and some repair initiatives there has not been a transition away from linear production. We continue to see companies co-opting customer interest in circularity – like Shein’s new resale platforms – to greenwash. While no company can show an overall reduction in production, some companies like Everlane, Nike, and Patagonia did reduce their use of virgin plastics like polyester.”

The report cites a continued lack of progress on living wages in supply chains, although it does note that some retailers are at least attempting to tackle this issue, with mixed results.

The report says that four companies (7 per cent) published some progress towards a living wage in their supply chains in addition to disclosing the methodology they use to quantify a living wage. These were Hanesbrands Inc., Patagonia, Ralph Lauren and Reformation.”

Five companies (9 per cent) – Burberry, Kering (Gucci, Balenciaga), Marks & Spencer, PUMA and Reformation – published partial information indicating that some of their direct employees, such as corporate employees or retail workers, earned a living wage, the report states.

One company – Ganni – adopted a Buyer Code of Conduct, a type of contract for the purchase of goods that commits companies to do their part to uphold fair commercial practices, such as paying fair prices for goods in full, and on time.

More generally, the report states: “2022 was a year of two tales for the fashion industry. On one hand we saw an incredible pull back to the status quo with Shein’s rise and Boohoo’s greenwashing move with a sustainable fashion collection with Kourtney Kardashian Barker. On the other hand, we have seen a growing movement of systemic change with breakthrough wage theft wins topping US$30m for workers, better policy reform like the Fabric Act, a regulatory backlash to greenwashing and incredible global organizing between unions, civil society and citizens such as the Levi’s Accord campaign. The big question for 2023 is whether we will see more industry support from big companies for worker-driven policies and binding agreements.”