The global fashion industry has a far-reaching impact on the natural environment, from the extraction of raw materials to the production, distribution, wear and disposal of clothes. As the world’s population increases to a projected 8.5 billion people by 2030, annual global apparel consumption could rise by 63%, from 62 million tonnes today to 102 million tonnes—equivalent to more than 500 billion additional T-shirts

The current fashion system is unsustainable, our biggest risk is to carry on as we currently operate. There is scientific consensus that we are in times of climate and ecological emergency as set out in the UN commissioned Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5° and Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

For the fashion industry to have a response commensurate with global environmental challenges, it will require a systems level change and development of a new fashion system based in a sustainability paradigm.
Bringing about this change is complex given the global nature of the industry and its many different parts. However, a transformation of the fashion industry, addressing its environmental impacts, has been signalled and these approaches and innovations need to be scaled outwards and upwards. The British fashion industry is well placed to respond with speed, agency and inspiration to create an environmentally and economically prosperous industry.

This paper is created by Julie’s Bicycle and Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF) at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, on behalf of the British Fashion Council, enabled by DHL. It offers an overview of the environmental impacts of the fashion industry, a presentation of good practice in the UK, and how the industry can actively explore new definitions of good design and great business, including in:
• Design and materials
Integrating sustainable design principles into product, service and system creation
• Green technology
Fibre innovation, enzymology and molecular biology
• Manufacturing and processing
Supply chain transparency, blockchain technology, water use and energy efficiency
• Packaging and delivery
Innovation in shipping and logistics, reducing plastic and packaging waste
• Education and engagement
Pioneering new curriculum, changing cultures and driving demand for sustainable action
• Strategy
Setting carbon-based targets in alignment with the Paris Agreement; engaging with all above elements

The paper explores how the fashion industry is responding to the climate emergency, in the global context set by the UN frameworks of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals, and the special reports by the intergovernmental science bodies on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and Climate Change and Land.