Skip to content

How the CFDA Supports the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action

April 22, 2022

Sara Kozlowski

Despite fashion’s demonstrated efforts to become more sustainable, sector growth continues to outpace decarbonization efforts, and global warming is accelerating at a pace that the UN has signaled as a “code red for humanity.”

This April’s UN IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change} Sixth Assessment report findings force us to confront a worsening reality than what was revealed last November during COP26.

In 2021, GHG emissions rose more than 6%, rebounding from the 10% drop in 2020. Without intervention, the current trajectory will be 3.2c planetary warming by 2100, an increase from the previously estimated 2.7c.

Following COP26, the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action released a revised version to the 2018 Charter to accelerate the timeline and emphasize pathways to half GHG emissions by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5c and reach a fully Just Transition to net-zero by 2050.

The Charter outlines specific recommendations to reach these targets- ranging from readily adaptable to complex.

More than 130 companies and 41 supporting organizations have committed to support the Charter. Signatories include American Eagle, Burberry,Fast Retailing, Gap, Kering, Lenzing, Loomstate, LuluLemon, PVH, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney,TheRealReal and VF Corp. Supporting Organizations Include: Apparel Impact Institute, Better Cotton Initiative, BLUESIGN, British Fashion Council Conde Nast, Fashion For Good, Fashion Revolution, GCNYC, SAC/ Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Textile Exchange

The CFDA supports the vision outlined in the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action. 

Joining its signatories, we express our intent to support the implementation of the principles enshrined in the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and to work collaboratively with our peers and relevant stakeholders to advance the climate action agenda in fashion, including by engaging our community in topics that connect to the UN Fashion Industry Charter working groups domains 1) Decarbonization and GHG Emission Reductions 2) Materials 3) Manufacturing + Energy 4) Policy + Engagement 5) Financial Tools 6) Promoting Broader Climate Action 7) Brand/ Retailer Owned or Operated Emissions.

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

 

Images Courtesy of Tomtex and Jacob Olmedo

climate action
Earth Day
sustainability

Subscribe

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.