Did you know the fashion industry has a charter? The Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action goes beyond previous industry-wide commitments. Work under Fashion Charter for Climate Action is guided by its mission to drive the fashion industry to net-zero Greenhouse Gas emissions no later than 2050 in line with keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees.
The industry is raising its collective ambition with updated science-based emission reduction targets under the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, a media statement by the UNFCCC said on Monday.
“This is an important milestone for the Fashion Charter, as it increases the ambition level in effort to align the industry with 1.5 degrees. It is a signal that we need to work closely together with our peers, our supply chain, policymakers and consumers to get on the track to net-zero,” says Stefan Seidel of PUMA, who Co-Chairs the Fashion Industry Charter Steering Committee.
Announced at COP26, the renewed commitments form a decarbonisation plan aligned with Paris Agreement ambitions to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. They recognise the fashion industry as a major global player needing to take an active part in contributing to the realisation of these goals.
The industry charter specifies the following overarching areas of work to be further developed by specific Working Groups:
Under UN Climate Change, the Signatories and Supporting Organizations of the Charter will work collaboratively to deliver on the commitments enshrined in the document. This will be done through Working Groups, which will bring together relevant stakeholders, experts and initiatives in the fashion and broader textile sector.
Fashion Charter signatories collectively represent a significant proportion of the fashion industry. There are currently 130 companies and 41 supporting organisations that have signed the Fashion Charter including some of the well-known brands such as Burberry, H&M Group, VF Corporation, adidas, Kering, Chanel, Nike, and PUMA as well as suppliers such as Crystal Group, TAL Apparel and others.
Central to this is the call for companies to set Science Based Targets or halve their emissions by 2030, with a pledge to achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050. This is an update on the previous target of 30 percent aggregate greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2030. It comes at a crucial moment for climate action following the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which referred to a “code red for humanity”.
“In a time when the climate crisis is accelerating to unprecedented levels, we need the real economy to lead on climate action. The strengthened commitments of the fashion charter signatories is an excellent example of such leadership,” said Niclas Svenningsen, Manager of Global Climate Action at the UN Climate Change.
Further commitments in the updated Charter include sourcing 100% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030, sourcing of environmentally friendly raw materials, and phasing out coal from the supply chain by 2030 among others.
The renewed Charter also calls for creating incentive mechanisms for supplier engagement in the decarbonisation pathway as well as outlines measures to engage other stakeholders who will need to play their part, including policymakers, financial institutions and communicators.
The Charter lays out a plan to jointly develop and implement a collective decarbonisation strategy with the practical tools necessary to deliver on the Charter greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
Source: With inputs from UNFCCC
Banner image courtesy: UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion
