The Charter, under the auspices of the UN Climate Change, has agreement from leading fashion brands, retailers, supplier organisations and a major shipping company to collectively address the climate impact of the fashion sector across its entire value chain.

It recognises the crucial role fashion plays on both sides of the climate equation; as a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and as a sector with multiple opportunities to reduce emissions while contributing to sustainable development.

Forty-three fashion leaders, including Adidas, Burberry, Esprit, Guess, Gap Inc. Hugo Boss, H&M Group, Inditex, Kering Group, Levi Strauss & Co., Puma SE, PVH Corp., Target; have committed to implementing or supporting the 16 principles and targets that underpin the Fashion Climate Charter.

There are also leading membership organisations including Business for Social Responsibility, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, China National Textile and Apparel Council, Outdoor Industry Association and Textile Exchange; as well as the global logistics company Maersk; and global NGO WWF International, all committing to the Charter.

It is aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement and is open for other companies and organisations to join with a vision for the industry to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.  It also defines issues that would be addressed by signatories, ranging from decarbonisation of the production phase, selection of climate friendly and sustainable materials, low-carbon transport, improved consumer dialogue and awareness, and working with the financing community and policymakers to catalyse scalable solutions and exploring circular business models.

 To make concrete progress on those commitments, six working groups have been established in which signatories would work to define steps for the implementation of the Charter. The signatories have set an initial target to reduce their aggregate greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 and have defined concrete measures such as phasing out coal-fired boilers or other sources of coal-fired heat and power generation in their own companies and direct suppliers from 2025.

Ms Patricia Espinosa, the UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, who launched the Charter at COP24 in Katowice, Poland, said: “The fashion industry is always two steps ahead when it comes to defining world culture, so I am pleased to see it now also leading the way in terms of climate action.”

“I congratulate the signatories of this important Charter, which represents a unique commitment and collaboration from an array of fashion leaders. The Charter, like the renowned fashion runways of the world, sets an example that I hope others will follow.”

Mr Bjorn Gulden, the Chief Executive Officer of PUMA, said: “We are aware that more than 90 per cent of PUMA’s Carbon Footprint is being generated in shared supply chains. If we want to reduce carbon emissions in our supply chains, we need to work together with our industry peers.

“The Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action provides a collective industry effort to support the goals of the Paris Agreement. We appreciate that UN Climate Change has set up a global platform and call upon our industry peers to join the initiative.”

Mr Karl-Johan Persson, the Chief Executive Officer of H&M Group, said: “This Charter is about getting the fashion industry united in important climate work. Our industry has a global reach and only together can we create the change that is urgently needed.”

“We are happy to be a signatory of this Charter as part of our ambition to become climate positive in our value chain.”  In early 2018, fashion leaders volunteered to shape a climate movement through discussions in working groups chaired by PUMA SE and H&M Group.

The launch of the Fashion Charter, therefore, reflects genuine sectoral buy-in and is a clarion call to the industry globally to sign-up to climate action. By signing on to the Charter, chief executive officers and presidents of fashion organisations have confirmed their commitments to addressing climate change and their willingness to step up collaboration within and beyond the fashion sector towards a cleaner low-carbon future.

The fashion industry that encompasses textiles, clothing, leather, and footwear from the production of raw materials to manufacturing, distribution and consumption, has long supply chains and energy intensive production.

Principles and actions outlined in the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action would be pursued and developed collectively through working groups, which would be convened by the UN Climate Change in early 2019.

COP24, which closes on Friday, December 14, is being attended by more than 20,000 delegates from 190 countries.  It is on the theme: “Changing Together”. It aims at agreeing to a dense set of technical rules to underpin the Paris Agreement’s goals for limiting global warming to well below 2C, and ideally 1.5C by the end of the century.

By Lydia Kukua Asamoah, GNA’s Special Correspondent, Katowice, Poland (Credit: GIZ, Ministry of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency)