Fashion apparel and accessories brands are estimated to be responsible for up to 6% of GHG emissions, which are related to supply chain inputs and outputs.
As the UN Fashion Industry Charter Playbook for Climate Action guides, apparel brands can begin transforming and de-fossilizing their choice and materials by focusing on critical impact areas: dying and finishing, fabric and yarn processing, and fiber production, which is often responsible for more than 80% of environmental impact.
Brands of all sizes can also employ design strategies such as circularity to reduce Scope 3 emissions – where more than 90% of impact can reside.
According to the Apparel Impact Institute’s Roadmap to Net Zero report, there is a high opportunity for brands to significantly reduce their carbon footprint by looking to reduce Scope 3 emissions by setting Science Based Targets and innovating within three categories: purchased goods and services, upstream logistics, and downstream logistics.
While indirect emissions are harder to trace and measure if 90% or more of apparel emissions often come from this somewhat consistent category subset of Scope 3 – the case for brand adoption of circular materials/innovative processes is highly viable as a clear path to reducing emissions and rethinking their value chains increase the ability to have control over these decision areas.
Using tools such as the UN Fashion Industry Charter Climate Action Playbook and Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), Apparel and Footwear Guide brands of all sectors can set and track attainable targets.
Small to mid-size brands are often challenged by resource, cost, and scale access barriers which hasten the industry’s shift to circularity and closed-loop, biodegradable materials and processes, and other proven impact reduction design strategies.
Helping to increase the access and scale of material innovation and circular design strategies is essential to decarbonization efforts. Through education, tools, resources, and engagement we will continue supporting and promoting the transition to circular business models, materials, processes, and systems.
Continuing in the Decade of Action trajectory with only eight years to reach a 50% reduction of sector emissions and less than three decades to transform the sector to achieve Net Zero, we continue to center our educational focus on providing resources, tools, and information to assist CFDA members, small-mid -sized brands and our community reach the 50% emissions reduction targets needed to limit global warming to 1.5c by 2030, as defined by the United Nations Global Compact {UNGC} and UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action {UNFCC}
While this Earth Day/Month may not be for celebrating climate success yet, it can be a time for reflection, renewed resolve, re-affirmation of commitments, and to assess obstacles and progress barriers. No matter where you are on your journey now can be a time to re-focus your viewfinder with clarity on the incrementally possible, reframe challenges as opportunities, map the clearest route to your destination, recalibrate your GPS, and take inventory of your toolbox.
Together we can make transformative change, by following the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action guidelines and by understanding and employing innovative design strategies.
Read UNFCCC CFDA Support Letter by CEO Steven Kolb here.
The CFDA is an active member of the UN Global Compact committed to its Ten Principles and the global Sustainable Development Goals. Read our 2022 Communication on Engagement here.
