Fashion companies Patagonia, Allbirds and Ecoalf have joined a group of more than 500 companies in an ambitious pact to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, moving 20 years ahead of the 2050 targets set in the Paris Agreement. The companies announced this commitment at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP25.
More than 500 B Corp companies were present at the conference. B Corporation guarantees the highest standards of social and environmental performance, said they will also advocate for meaningful climate action. The movement is led by B Lab, a nonprofit organization that promotes the use of business as a force for good.
This commitment to significant carbon reduction leading to a net zero future by 2030 is part of the most aggressive climate action effort by a group of companies in the world and demonstrates true leadership at a time of severe environmental and economic disruption and uncertainty.
C&A Becomes a Carbon Neutral Company
By 2030, the company will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the production chain by 30%. The fashion brand C&A has taken another step forward in its recognized sustainability strategy and has announced a plan to offset the carbon emissions emitted in its 115 stores in Spain and Portugal.
To implement this measure, the company has calculated all the CO2 emissions generated as a company in its stores and offices, from heating and electricity to employees' commuting to work. The project, which is part of the brand's sustainability strategy, will be carried out in partnership with Climate Partner, the leading consultancy firm in providing corporate solutions for climate protection.
By 2030, C&A will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the production chain by 30%. This announcement is part of the company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Plan, which also includes a commitment to a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
This measure covers its production chain as well as its factories and stores, through the use and supply of more sustainable materials as well as responsible management of the environmental performance of its supply chain.
Fashion Industry is Responsible for 10% of Global Emissions
Textiles, along with aluminum, generate the highest amount of greenhouse gases per unit of material. In fact, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global emissions. Not only that, the impacts of the textile industry - especially those related to "fast fashion" - translate into more than 92 million tons of waste produced per year and 1.5 billion liters of water consumed.
This was made clear by researchers from Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia in a study recently published in the scientific journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.
This large environmental footprint responds to a growth in textile production in response to the consumption that resulted from the emergence of fast fashion, which relies on a business model that offers a novelty in the form of low-cost, low-quality products. The researchers noted that fast fashion is based on recurrent consumption and impulse buying, which instills a sense of urgency in purchasing.
As a result, apparel brands are producing twice as many collections compared to those made in 2000. The overall increase in production demand is estimated to be 2% per year.
According to the study, global textile production per capita has increased from 5.9 kilograms to 13 kilograms per year in the period 1975-2018. Also, global consumption has increased to about 62 million tons of textile products per year and the researchers expect it to reach 102 million tons by 2030.