Climate advocacy organizations are imploring the signatories of the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (Fashion Charter) to move beyond vague appeals for policy changes and instead focus on decisive action at COP30. This call comes in response to the Fashion Charter’s recent communiqué, which has been signed by over 70 brands and manufacturers, urging policymakers to expedite the transition to fair clean energy solutions.
The statement issued by these signatories highlights the necessity for greater governmental support to facilitate access to renewable energy. It also calls for enhanced reporting standards, more ambitious climate targets, and comprehensive adaptation policies aimed at helping the fashion industry phase out coal while slashing emissions.
However, climate organizations such as Action Speaks Louder, Stand.earth, and Fashion Revolution caution that without a more targeted approach to advocacy, these recommendations are “unlikely” to produce substantial policy results.
These groups point out that emissions from the fashion sector have continued to rise even after the Fashion Charter was introduced at COP24 seven years ago. According to the Apparel Impact Institute, emissions in the industry reached 944 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2023. If business growth continues on its current path, emissions could potentially exceed 1.24 billion tonnes by 2030.
“Clearly, brands are way off track: to stay within a 1.5°C trajectory,” the advocacy groups stated, noting that emissions would need to be reduced by at least 45% by the decade’s end to meet this critical climate goal.
This lack of progress has been attributed to insufficient mandatory reporting standards, inadequate financial support mechanisms, and limited government assistance for renewable energy initiatives.
Ruth MacGilp, the fashion campaign manager for Action Speaks Louder, emphasized the urgency of the situation: “Even as political headwinds challenge sustainability narratives, fashion brands must double down on climate policy advocacy efforts and invest meaningfully in both climate mitigation and adaptation. Without this, fashion’s future business is at risk, alongside the livelihoods of millions of workers in the supply chain.”
To advance fashion climate action, several key initiatives are recommended for industry leaders at COP30:
- Fashion Charter signatories should actively engage with policymakers in key sourcing and consumer countries such as China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam, while also being transparent about their advocacy efforts.
- The Fashion Charter should require brands to develop region-specific transition plans with the involvement of workers, allocate resources for adaptation, and construct clearer targets for phasing out fossil fuels.
- Major brands must quickly invest in existing supply chain decarbonization efforts and climate adaptation practices.
Rachel Kitchin, Stand.earth’s senior corporate climate campaigner, commented, “This COP, key fashion industry issues like climate adaptation, the needs of communities, and a worker-led just transition are at the forefront of climate negotiations, and all brands must step up.”
Kitchin added, “The UN Fashion Charter’s communiqué shows that the industry knows the solutions; brands must contribute their fair share by funding and enabling climate action throughout the supply chain, reporting transparently on their progress, and actively including workers in their transition plans.”
