Fashion and Apparel
The fashion and apparel sector represents a significant part of our economies, with the multibillion-dollar sector employing an estimated one in eight workers globally. While the sector has experienced rapid growth over the past few decades, increasing attention has been brought to its impacts on people and the planet. Fashion businesses have been called out for poor labor conditions, accelerating global greenhouse gas emissions, the depletion of freshwater stocks and the degradation of natural ecosystems.
Fashion is also reliant on sectors like agriculture, mining and forestry for its raw materials, including cotton, wool, cellulose and plastics. This emphasizes the need to protect the natural systems that support these sectors to secure the supply chains and economic resilience of fashion businesses.
To build resilience to climate change and nature loss, the sector must shift towards circular and regenerative business models, requiring innovation and transformation at all stages of its value chain.
The sector actions serve as a guide to transform business practices and value chains and ensure the fashion and apparel sector plays its part in halting and reversing nature loss by 2030 - the mission at the heart of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
The overview and report were led by Business for Nature and Accenture.
Scroll down to access additional resources, including the sector overview in Chinese, French and Spanish.
Impacts on nature
Fashion companies should direct their efforts towards addressing the most significant impacts on nature in their operations and value chains, namely:
Freshwater use
Soil exhaustion
Land use change and degradation
Exploitation and loss of species
Pollution
Dependencies on nature
The fashion and apparel sector is dependent on ecosystem services to function and grow. Companies rely heavily on:
Fibers and other materials
Freshwater
Soil quality
Energy
