December 2019
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Areas for discussion included:
- The policy focus on sustainability in fashion;
- Reducing waste and environmental impact;
- Ensuring supply chain traceability and transparency; and
- Improving working conditions.
Delegates discussed what steps need to be taken across the industry to reduce waste and move towards the target, now being backed in legislation, of net-zero emissions by 2050, along with what support and leadership is required from government to support the industry in reaching this target.
There was also be discussion on what further support is needed from government to develop greener alternatives in the sector following a £6m investment from BEIS and private sources which includes funding for clothing companies that look to tackle plastic pollution and promote the role of innovation in improving the sustainability of clothes.
With the current trend for ‘fast fashion’, sessions looked at how the industry can continue to keep costs down and achieve growth.
As consumers start to question ‘who made my clothes?’, delegates discussed what needs to be done to improve ethical standards and protect brand reputation throughout the supply chain - including approaches such as building closer relationships with fewer suppliers, widening the sharing of information, and integrating pre-production activities such as product design.
Following the Rana Plaza disaster and with the fashion industry being listed in the Global Slavery Index as one of the five key industries implicated in modern slavery, delegates discussed the steps that can be taken by brands to improve working conditions in factories across the globe - in particular how collaboration between buyers, factories and workers can encourage decisions that will improve conditions and create lasting change.
