Kickstart Your Sustainable Development Strategy

This year has brought a lot of unprecedented challenges to the citizens of the world, but it has also shown us that through collaboration, change can happen. Collaboration plays a vital role in sharing best practices and coming to a common agreement of what the fashion sector needs in order to move towards a more responsible future as an industry. However, it is difficult to come to a common agreement for sustainable development without a common language. The Conscious Fashion Campaign was created to bridge the gap between the fashion industry, the United Nations, and the Sustainable Development Goals to move towards an inclusive and sustainable future. The 17 Goals address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.  The Conscious Fashion Campaign1, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, engages leading global industry events, initiatives and activations to facilitate collective action towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The campaign coordinates advocacy, education and engagement of fashion industry stakeholders to implement responsible business practices that are mindful of social, economic and environmental impact.  The Conscious Fashion Campaign is a partner of 20+ leading global tradeshows, conferences, and associations, and proud to see partners continuing to deliver knowledge share and connect the community amidst these current times.  Among these partnerships is the upcoming CommonShare digital conference focused on Collaboration, Transparency, and Responsibility. Throughout the 2 days, the goal is to really encourage solidarity throughout the supply chain and share best practices as we navigate the "new normal" and move collectively towards a better future. The Conscious Fashion Campaign will be taking part in one of the many inspiring panels called, “Suppliers, Manufacturers, and Brands - Collaboration & Commitment for a Better Future.” This key webinar will bring together a leading global supplier, manufacturer, and brand into an open discussion on the challenges faced and how to move forward. We think the supply "chain" can no longer simply be a chain of business interactions, but instead must be an aligned collective. The aim is to highlight the urgency of collaboration and camaraderie between each partner as we navigate the post-COVID19 era. How To Implement The Sustainable Development Goals Into Your Business Strategy This aligned collective we are striving for can be achieved by using the Sustainable Development Goals as a roadmap for recovery as we aim to build back better together. The textile industry is a very complex sector with regional varying sustainable development issues and priorities. Thus, we suggest selecting one or two goals as your primary focus to start your sustainable development journey. The goals you begin with should be ones that resonate with your brand values and feel most passionate about. You should also be looking for goals that will align with the resources you require as inputs. Suggested SDGs For The Textile Industry SDG6: Clean Water and Sanitation “While substantial progress has been made in increasing access to clean drinking water and sanitation, billions of people—mostly in rural areas—still lack these basic services. Worldwide, one in three people do not have access to safe drinking water2, two out of five people do not have a basic hand-washing facility3 with soap and water, and more than 673 million people still practice open defecation4.” Putting SDG6 at the core of your textile business could take many shapes and forms. We suggest looking into water-efficient fibers, water treatment systems, water recycling technology, and supporting organizations that provide clean drinking water to those in need. SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy “The world is making progress towards Goal 7, with encouraging signs that energy is becoming more sustainable and widely available. Access to electricity in poorer countries has begun to accelerate, energy efficiency continues to improve, and renewable energy is making impressive gains in the electricity sector.” We suggest looking into facilities utilizing renewable energy such as biomass generators, solar or wind-powered facilities, and those that are conserving as much energy as possible. SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth “Sustained and inclusive economic growth can drive progress, create decent jobs for all, and improve living standards.” With SDG8, you could choose to focus on educating and training your employees, so they are able to create better lives for themselves. This could look like rescuing sex-trafficked women and giving them the skills to join the workforce, or training disabled persons in jobs suitable for them. SDG9: Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure “Inclusive and sustainable industrialization, together with innovation and infrastructure, can unleash dynamic and competitive economic forces that generate employment and income. They play a key role in introducing and promoting new technologies, facilitating international trade and enabling the efficient use of resources.” We are seeing so many innovations in fiber technology that are revolutionizing the industry. We need to keep thinking outside the box, researching and developing to continue to find best practices. SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production “Worldwide consumption and production — a driving force of the global economy — rest on the use of the natural environment and resources in a way that continues to have destructive impacts on the planet. Economic and social progress over the last century has been accompanied by environmental degradation that is endangering the very systems on which our future development — indeed, our very survival — depends.” SDG12 is one of the main goals textile manufacturers need to place a high value on. We suggest weighing the tradeoffs when choosing what inputs through hard data and LCA’s, and ensuring your outputs are not harming the people or the planet, as well. SDG13: Climate Action “Climate change is affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting lives. Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, and weather events are becoming more extreme.” SDG13 can encompass many goals. But the key here is “action.” We encourage you to move from conversation to action. SDG14: Life Below Water “Careful management of this essential global resource is a key feature of a sustainable future. However, at the current time, there is a continuous deterioration of coastal waters owing to pollution, and ocean acidification is having an adversarial effect on the functioning of ecosystems and biodiversity. This is also negatively impacting small scale fisheries.” It is estimated that 35% of microplastics released into the world’s oceans come from synthetic textiles. To combat this, you could commit to only using inputs that are biodegradable in marine environments. Another example of using SDG14 is using ocean waste for textiles. However, we suggest you work in partnership with an organization that is collecting ocean plastic to ensure there are no false claims. SDG15: Life on Land “Nature is critical to our survival: nature provides us with our oxygen, regulates our weather patterns, pollinates our crops, produces our food, feed and fibre. But it is under increasing stress. Human activity has altered almost 75 per cent of the earth’s surface5, squeezing wildlife and nature into an ever-smaller corner of the planet.” As we’ve started to move away from synthetics, the demand for wood-based fibers has spiked. However, an unintended consequence of using renewable sources has resulted in deforestation. We suggest using Canopy’s Hot Button Report for viscose fibers. Desertification has also been an issue due to poor farming practices. We suggest working with farmers to implement regenerative farming practices and support them during the transition process.  SDG17: Partnerships for The Goals “The SDGs can only be realized with strong global partnerships and cooperation. A successful development agenda requires inclusive partnerships — at the global, regional, national and local levels — built upon principles and values, and upon a shared vision and shared goals placing people and the planet at the centre.” We believe collaboration plays a vital role in sustainable development, and strongly encourage you to look outside your immediate suppliers and industries. For example, partnering with a recycler or another textile manufacturer that has fiber recycling infrastructure on site. For a summary of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, watch this short one minute video and if you’d like to learn in-depth information on each goal, visit the SDG’s page here. Textile Supplier Example/ Case Study Cone Denim is a great example of putting SDG6: Clean Water and Sanitation at the core of their business. Starting with a 2016 baseline, Cone Denim has set a target to reduce absolute water usage by 25% by 2025. They have also joined the UN CEO Water Mandate where they will be giving annual reports on their actions and results related to the Mandate’s commitment areas. The water usage is tracked by facility every month and has established annual reduction goals in order to meet their 2025 target. Equipment and processes that use less water and chemicals, that includes ozone technology for fabric finishing, have been installed and continue to evaluate the newest water-saving technologies on the market. Not only is Cone Denim doing everything they can to reduce their water intake, but they also operate a state of the art wastewater treatment system that is carefully tracked each day by their wastewater engineers. Additionally, Cone Denim screens all chemistry needed in production to eliminate restricted chemicals and any chemical that could have a negative impact on their wastewater treatment. As an integral part of their strategy to hit their 2025 target, Cone is installing a large capacity for wastewater recycling and reuse. Conclusion Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals is the core of the Conscious Fashion Campaign, engaging leading event producers, organizers and conveners to facilitate collaborative action towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations Member States. The campaign facilitates education, advocacy, and the engagement of the fashion industry to implement responsible business practices that are mindful of social, economic, and environmental impact, following Sustainable Development Goal 12, Responsible Production and Consumption.  The Conscious Fashion Campaign actively supports the Decade of Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development by bridging the gap between the United Nations and fashion industry leaders to enable the Sustainable Development Goals to scale and create effective strategic multi-stakeholder partnerships. It is our goal to see fashion as a sector for good, and together, we can succeed.     1. Conscious Fashion Campaign  2. Source: www.who.int/news-room/detail/18-06-2019-1-in-3-people-globally-do-not-have-access-to-safe-drinking-water-unicef-who 3. Source: www.unwater.org/water-facts/water-sanitation-and-hygiene/ 4. Source: news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1051561 5. Source: news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061082