It’s no secret the fashion industry has a sustainability problem. Fast fashion gets the blame, but high-end brands are just as guilty.

COP 26 saw multiple sustainability pledges from the industry, and since then, mindsets and frameworks do seem to be changing. Encouragingly, conversations now focus on end-of-life impacts and establishing biodiversity strategies. 

But progress is slow. Emissions are going up, circularity is still some way off, next-gen fabrics are not yet mainstream and workers are still grossly underpaid. So, is the industry all talk, no (sustainable) trousers?

Not quite. As reported in Vogue, fashion is starting to realize that climate change is as much about equity as it is about emissions, and real change requires a more fundamental shift:

• Fashion without fossil fuels: a significant contributor to the world’s carbon emissions and plastic production, the industry needs a complete overhaul of the supply chain
• Increase wages: just 2% of garment workers earn a liveable wage. Increasing labour costs would help those workers and avoid larger issues like overproduction and consumer waste. And that means transforming the whole business model
• Supplier–brand relationships: brands expect suppliers to reduce emissions and improve working conditions, but fail to extend deadlines or pay more. Brands need to be held more accountable for their environmental and social impacts

Adding more recycled plastic to collections or using innovative packaging won’t solve fashion’s sustainability problem. That requires better workers’ rights and a reduction in fossil fuels across supply chains.

COP 27 puts resilience and adaptation to climate risks on a par with emissions reduction, and the fashion industry has a crucial part to play.