One-Earth Fashion Report Calls For Radical Reform In Global Fashion Industry

The One-Earth Fashion report by Public Eye has issued a clarion call for radical reform in the global fashion industry. Highlighting its outsized impact on the environment and society, the report lays out 33 actionable targets designed to align the industry with planetary boundaries and create a just, sustainable future.

Fashion’s contribution to climate change, biodiversity loss and human rights violations is staggering. The industry, one of the largest polluters globally, relies heavily on virgin materials, unsustainable agricultural practices and exploitative labour systems. Polyester and other fossil-based fibres dominate production, driving greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and microplastic pollution. Concurrently, cotton and leather production devastate ecosystems through deforestation, chemical overuse and water scarcity.

Urgent Calls for Action

The report proposes a comprehensive framework for sustainable transformation, focusing on key areas:

• Material Reduction and Circularity: The report demands a 40% reduction in virgin material use, with a 60% cut in fossil-based fibres and a 10% decrease in natural resources. Fibre-to-fibre recycling is emphasized, targeting at least 15% of total material input by 2030. Such measures aim to decouple the industry’s growth from raw material consumption.
• Slowing Down Fashion: To counter wasteful overproduction, the report calls for doubling the active use days of garments and ensuring 50% of used clothing is reused locally. Halving non-recovered waste and integrating sustainable post-use systems into business models are critical steps.
• Tackling GHG Emissions and Plastics: The industry must cut GHG emissions by 60% and reduce virgin fossil-fuel materials by the same margin. Microplastic release must also be halved to combat pollution.
• Living Wages and Safe Workplaces: The report underscores the urgent need to pay living wages, eliminate gender pay gaps, and ensure safe, healthy workplaces. It emphasizes protections against climate-related workplace hazards and comprehensive industrial safety measures.
• Agro-ecological Practices in Fibre Production: The transition to agro-ecological systems for at least 50% of natural fibre production is imperative. This includes phasing out hazardous pesticides, reducing agrochemical use by 75%, and halting deforestation.

Four Paradigm Shifts for Systemic Change

Achieving these ambitious goals requires addressing entrenched power structures. The report identifies four paradigm shifts essential to a sustainable future:

1. Material Shift: Moving from a linear consumption model to circular systems prioritizing durability and reparability.
2. Labour Shift: Recognizing and empowering workers as central agents in the transformation, ensuring decent work and social protections.
3. Value Redistribution: Balancing the concentration of wealth and resources in the supply chain by prioritizing fair wages and equitable profits.
4. Power Redistribution: Democratizing decision-making and strengthening collective bargaining to empower marginalized voices in the industry.

The report appeals to policymakers, industry leaders and consumers to drive meaningful change. It asserts that voluntary sustainability initiatives are insufficient, urging stricter regulations to phase out fast fashion, promote circularity and hold corporations accountable.

As fashion faces unprecedented scrutiny, One-Earth Fashion positions itself as a guiding framework for an industry overhaul, ensuring sustainability and justice are no longer optional but imperative.