Is Going Greener the answer to Fashion Industry

There is a lot of talk about the fashion industry for becoming greener. For years we have rallied about authenticity, personalities choice of what we wear and the type of wardrobe we desire for. Fast fashion has clearly played a damaging role which accounts for 10% of global carbon emission. To understand why the fashion industry is such a big emitter it is necessary to understand the under lying layers of complexity that contribute to its significant emissions.

Fashion Supply Chain Challenges

The international fragmentation of global supply chain challenges the way we look at global economy. Clothing in general is a very complex supply chain that makes it difficult to account for all emissions that come from producing new clothes. Then there are issues related to how the clothing is transported and disposed of when the consumer no longer wants it anymore. While most consumer goods suffer from similar issues what makes fashion industry problematic is that with each passing seasons consumer are pushed into buying the latest items to stay on trend. In essence, where few shoppers think about carbon footprint and environmental impacts when purchasing styled goods and clothing. The question remains is the fashion industry going greener?

The answer is yes but it is still yet to make a significant impact. It is important to acknowledge the efforts from various brands including industry leaders to address the pollution and labour issues. Major brands have signed up to RE100 committing to source 100% electricity needs from renewable resource. We have a long way to go before we can truly rule out the dangerous effect of fast fashion. For that reason, it is important for society to participate helping down emission that the industry causes. Small acts that are done regularly will lead the journey to sustainability. We all have a role to play from manufacturers, designers, celebrities, internet influencers, consumers to take responsibility for the products they purchase, promote and the causes they advocate for.

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