Rapidly increasing fashion emissions are observed, contradicting commitments towards reduction despite increasing consumer demand

In the pursuit of decarbonisation, a significant number of brands have faced a paradoxical situation: while making pledges to reduce emissions, 40% of them have seen their emissions grow in absolute terms. This trend, unfortunately, has contributed to a 7.5% increase in greenhouse-gas emissions in 2023 due to the world's demand for fast fashion.

However, not all hope is lost. Brands are starting to adopt science-based targets for emissions reduction. As of 2023, more than 600 fashion companies have made this commitment, a stark contrast to just over a dozen in 2019.

One such brand is H&M, which has been backing the exploration of new technologies like wind energy and solar panels mounted on floating structures in Bangladesh. This innovative approach could potentially revolutionise the energy landscape in countries like Bangladesh, which currently have only a small share of renewable electricity in their national grid.

H&M's efforts extend beyond Bangladesh. In India, the company is investigating ways to decarbonise textile mills, which still rely heavily on coal-fired boilers, a significant source of emissions. Similarly, China's textile mills continue to use coal-fired boilers, contributing to the industry's carbon footprint.

The transition to renewable energy is not without its challenges. Asian countries like Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia, which account for 65% of global apparel production, face country-specific challenges in decarbonising textile. One of the primary obstacles is the lack of resources available for decarbonisation investments. Funding could come from banks or specialised funds.

Apparel makers can make significant strides in reducing carbon emissions and energy use. For instance, replacing fossil fuel-fired boilers with renewable-powered electric boilers for heating water and setting up rooftop solar panels in factories can provide substantial energy savings. Small efficiency measures like recovering and reusing waste heat generated during heating water, plugging leaks, and installing better insulation could provide energy savings of 5% to 18%.

H&M is leading by example in this regard. The company is testing direct corporate purchases of electricity from renewable power producers in Vietnam. This initiative, if successful, could pave the way for other brands to follow suit.

The seven main sponsors of AII's Fashion Climate Fund, including the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), IKEA Foundation, Laudes Foundation, the German Development Bank (KfW), Global Fashion Agenda, and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), are providing a total of 10 million USD by 2030 to support these initiatives.

Aligning with the goal of limiting global temperature rise within 1.5 degrees Celsius under the Paris Agreement would require slashing fashion's absolute emissions from 0.944 gigatonnes to 0.489 gigatonnes in the next five years. This ambitious target underscores the urgency and importance of the decarbonisation efforts in the textile industry.

The story was published with permission from Thomson Reuters Foundation, focusing on humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women's rights, trafficking, and property rights.

Rapidly increasing fashion emissions are observed, contradicting commitments towards reduction despite increasing consumer demand