New UN reports show how fashion industry can lighten its carbon footprint

The UN Climate Change’s Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action has released two reports designed to assist the fashion sector in comprehending strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions across the entire spectrum of raw material activities.

Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu, Sector Engagement Lead at UN Climate Change, praises these reports as vital tools to understand the impact data within the fashion and apparel domain.

Expanding beyond the 2021 report, "Identifying Low Carbon Sources of Cotton and Polyester," the new reports delve into the vital raw material domains of animal fibers and man-made cellulosics, which hold significance within the global fashion landscape.

Claire Bergkamp, CEO at Textile Exchange, underscores the shared objective - equipping the fashion, textile, and apparel sector with effective tools to curtail greenhouse gas emissions stemming from raw materials. Bergkamp highlights the reports' intrinsic value as reference materials for organizations seeking to deepen their understanding of industry impact data.

Serving as authoritative repositories, these reports deliver comprehensive insights into existing greenhouse gas impact data across diverse raw material categories while meticulously delineating gaps and challenges.

The reports empower Fashion Charter signatories to devise strategies for trimming greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with the commitment to attain net-zero emissions by 2050.

Textile Exchange spearheaded the development of these gap analysis reports within the Charter’s Raw Material Working Group, with significant input from prominent signatories including Lenzing, Canopy, VF Corporation, Reformation, Primark, Schneider Group, Fabrikology, New Enzymes, Sateri, and others.

About the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action

Launched with the backing of UN Climate Change in 2018, the Fashion Charter maps the course toward industry-wide net-zero emissions by 2050, in step with global aspirations to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Charter embraces commitments including sourcing 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030, prioritising eco-friendly raw materials, and phasing out coal from supply chains by 2030.

To see the reports go to www.unfccc.int.