How SDGs relate to today's fashion industry?
©Hugh Whyte via Unsplash
In 2015 all United Nations Member States came together to create a “universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.”
Now adopted by all UN member states, SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are an urgent call to action. In this edition of GREENEXT Talks, let's discover how the SDGs relate to today's fashion industry!
What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are a set of goals outlining a future scenario for people and the planet adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015.
At its heart are 17 global goals that represent an urgent call to action for all countries and citizens to work in global partnership to succeed in achieving them.
Classified into 17 strategic points, the Sustainable Development Goals are broken down into 169 targets of integrated and indivisible nature that cover the economic, social, and environmental areas. A multidisciplinary approach confirms the integrative nature of sustainability and creates a universal action plan that seeks to leave no one behind.
How do the SDGs link to the fashion industry?
The fashion industry has an often underestimated impact on the development of our planet, it covers many of the 17 SDGs. The entire fashion supply chain is estimated to contribute 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and fashion is the second most water-intensive industry on earth, consuming roughly 79 billion cubic meters of water per year. Fashion also faces social problems such as modern slavery, due to its long supply chains over which brands do not have full control. Below we describe some of the SDGs most closely related to the fashion industry!
SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production
One of the most important SDGs for the fashion industry is SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, which calls for the decoupling of economic growth from increasing resource consumption. SDG 12 is structured over eight targets, addressing the use of natural resources, chemical waste, fossil fuels, and the integration of sustainable practices into the production cycles, all of which apply to the fashion industry.
The fashion industry now uses 98 million tonnes of non-renewable resources each year, and only 12 percent of the material used in clothing is currently recycled. However, it is not only producers who can make a difference. We currently consume 400% more garments than 20 years ago and we use them half as often. Target eight under this goal addresses the consumers' right to be informed so as to be better aware of sustainable development issues – an area almost untouched by the fashion industry. There is therefore a clear need to move towards more circular practices in the industry, which will require the input of both consumers and manufacturers.
SDG 14: Life below water
The link between fashion and the marine environment might be underestimated. In fact, in addition to the contamination of water through chemicals which is under SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, marine life can also be affected by textile activity from the release of microplastics caused during the washing of garments, which is closely linked to SDG 14: Life below Water.
It is estimated that microplastic pollution caused by the washing processes of synthetic textile products has been assessed as the main source of primary microplastics in the oceans. And over a third (35%) of all microplastics released into the world's oceans are from synthetic textiles. For instance, polyester, one of the most commonly used textiles, sheds on average six times more microplastic fibers than nylon. More information can be found at previous GREENEXT Talks | Fashion Industry's Not So Micro Problem.
Goal 15. Life on land
The fashion industry has a great impact on biodiversity, which is under SDG 15: Life on Land. The intensive use of the land to extract raw materials, the excessive consumption of natural resources, as well as the overproduction of garments, have caused an increase in textile waste and its consequent impact on land ecosystems.
According to McKinsey and Company’s research and report, most of the negative impact on biodiversity comes from raw-material production, material preparation as well as processing and end of life.” GREENEXT took a more in-depth look into fashion and its relationship with biodiversity at GREENEXT Talks: building a shared future for all life.
Goal 13: Climate Change
One of the most important goals for the fashion industry is tackling SDG 13: Climate Change, which stresses to "take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts". An estimated 2-8% of the world's carbon emissions come from just the fashion industry. Within the next 30 years, this number will jump to 26%. With textile production generating more greenhouse gas emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined, the fashion industry is a key sector for this SDG.
Most of the CO2 emissions come from production and manufacturing processes, in particular raw material production, as well as yarn and fabric preparation, wet processes. It's time for the industry to become innovative and find environmentally friendly methods that can be incorporated into supply chains to lower CO2 emissions.
Apart from what has been mentioned above on the environmental goals, the social dimension of the fashion industry is also closely affecting many targets under various SDGs: SDG 5: Gender Equality stresses the need to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. According to the Fashion Revolution, about 75 million people work in the global garment industry and about 80% of these are women and girls. Besides, SDG 1: No Poverty eradicates poverty is influenced for instance by the salaries paid to millions of people working in the apparel industry in developing countries.
Further linkages between the fashion industry and the SDGs can be drawn by looking at the health impacts of chemicals used in the production process on workers as well as communities affected by environmental pollution (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being) or by looking at the recycling of clothing (target six on waste management under SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities).
