“Sustainability is no longer just a trend, it’s a business imperative.”
So states the Global Fashion Agenda, a leadership forum on fashion sustainability around the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. Today, the forum launched the inaugural, sustainability-centered CEO Agenda that the industry should note. It was developed with fashion titans such as Kering, H&M, Target, and Li & Fung and makes a case for change.
“Fashion is one of the largest industries in the world, but also one of the most resource and labor intensive,” said Eva Kruse, CEO of Global Fashion Agenda. “The environmental, social and ethical challenges the industry faces today are not only a threat to the planet, but also a threat to the industry itself. That’s why there’s no alternative but for sustainability to become an integral part of any company’s business strategy.”
The agenda spotlights three immediate priorities and for four the long-term ones. CEOs should consider immediately implementing supply chain traceability; efficient use of water, energy and chemicals, and respectful and secure work environments.
Long term, fashion leaders should look at “transformational priorities for fundamental change,” as in sustainable material mix; closed-loop fashion system; promotion of better wage systems, and fourth industrial revolution.
“We build responsible practices into our sourcing operations – including public commitments to improving worker well-being, manufacturing in a way that enhances the environment and increasing our use of sustainable raw materials – and have a longstanding commitment to transparency within our supply chain,” said Amanda Nusz, Vice President and General Merchandise Manager at Target..”
“The big challenges facing the world can only be tackled by working together,” said Karl-Johan Persson, CEO of H&M. “This is a prerequisite for making the fashion industry part of the solution rather than part of the problem.”
The CEO Agenda builds on the Pulse of the Fashion Industry 2017 report, which Global Fashion Agenda published in collaboration with The Boston Consulting Group last year. The CEO Agenda will serve as a guiding framework for the program of Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2018, set for May 15-16.
Read the 2018 CEO Agenda here.
