Fashion industry may use quarter of world’s carbon budget by 2050

Emissions from the fashion sector are to rise by more than 60 percent by 2030.

The fast fashion industry is set to boom, projects the State of Fashion report 2018 released by McKinsey & Company. It says that the sector will be more environmentally responsible and sustainable than 2017, but the ecological impact and especially carbon footprint of the sector remains a cause of concern.

Today, textile production is the world’s second most polluting industry after the oil industry. The total greenhouse gas emissions from textile production currently stands at 1.2 billion tonnes annually and this is more than those of all international flights and maritime shipping combined, says the journal Nature Climate Change. It is estimated that the fashion industry is responsible for 10 percent of the global carbon emissions and according to UNFCCC, the sector’s emissions are to rise by more than 60 percent by 2030 if transformation towards a sustainable fashion industry fails to materialize soon.

Manufacturing hubs China and India will increase the footprint further. More than 60 per cent of textiles are used in the clothing industry and a large proportion of clothing manufacturing occurs in China and India, countries which rely on coal-fueled power plants, increasing the footprint of each garment.

Polyester and cotton are the two most commonly used fabrics in the industry and their production has a considerable ecological impact. Amongst these, polyester along with other synthetic fibers is the most commonly used fabric, but its production results in more emissions since it is produced from fossil fuels such as crude oil.

According to estimates, 262 per cent more CO2 is emitted to produce a single polyester T-shirt than a cotton shirt. But substituting polyester with its recyclable counterpart offers up to a 90% reduction of toxic substances, a 60 percent reduction in energy usage, and up to a 40 per cent dip in emissions, says Pulse of the Fashion report 2018.

The production and consumption patterns of fast fashion affect many aspects of development. It certainly can contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. On July 10, 2018, UN officials at the high-political forum for sustainable development, reviewed the industry’s environmental impact. They said the fashion industry does need to change the gear and it’s time to make sustainability the next fashion trend. They agreed that the fashion industry will benefit from increased collaboration and 10 UN nations came together to establish the UN Alliance on Sustainable Fashion. The UN Environment will formally launch this forum at the next Environment Assembly in March 2019. Meanwhile, this alliance will reach out to wider audiences, targeting the private sector, governments of UN member states, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders with a unified voice.