Planet
The fashion industry has changed in recent years as more and more fashion research data shows the intensification of global apparel consumption and the increased accessibility and affordability of clothing, and awareness of the environmental impact of the fashion industry continues to grow. Sustainability is becoming a core value of the global fashion industry. (Monday Lecture12.15-1.15 PLANET & FASHION_KR_2023) FASHION INDUSTRY : Major contributor to world pollution and climate change. textiles production Textiles production : 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 annually, 12 billion garments produced every year! 85 percent of textiles are sent to landfills, i.e. 21 billion tons a year.
Planet, Purpose, People and Profit reflect the four pillars of Sustainability, which make up Sustainable Development. they are the key factors in creating a truly ethical business, which is linked to human survival and long-term quality of life. survival and long-term quality of life.
Current fashion system, which is driven by ‘take-make-usethrowaway’ scenario, believes the resources are infinite.( Subramanian Senthilkannan Muthu, Springer, 2022) The process of extracting raw materials for clothing, the process of making the clothing, the process of using the clothing, and finally the disposal of the clothing produces CO2, which is very harmful to the environment. The global economy is under pressure as a result of rising raw material prices due to ongoing environmental hazards and the scarcity of non-renewable energy sources.
Sustainability means preventing the depletion of natural or plant resources over time so that they can survive for a long time. In today’s society, with the rise in popularity of fast fashion, people are overusing natural resources, which is leading to an accelerated depletion of resources and means that the time people have to live on earth is shortened. People are becoming more aware of the serious impact that clothes have on the environment. Alarmingly, the industry is responsible for between 4 and 10 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions each year, a figure that cannot be ignored. “I think five years from now every serious brand, and definitely every multi-brand retailer, will have rental [fashion] within their offering,” Victoria Prew, CEO and co-founder of rental platform Hurr.( Victoria Prew, CEO and co-founder of rental platform Hurr ,British Vogue’s January 2023 issue) More and more brands and businesses are recognising this serious problem and are taking steps to address it. For example, they are converting non-renewable materials into renewable ones and using more eco-friendly and recyclable fabrics. These small changes can make a huge difference to the planet.
The United Nations set 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 which are scheduled to be completed by 2030 to protect the environment. The thirteenth goal, Climate action, is in my opinion relevant to the fashion industry. The resources used to produce clothes seriously contribute to the harshness of the climate. Every part of the circular fashion economy is producing pollution and emitting co2, which leads to air pollution global warming. Many people live in highly vulnerable regions, which indirectly contributes to the mortality rate of some of the people living in these regions.Between 2010 and 2020, highly vulnerable regions, home to approximately 3.3- 3.6 billion people, experienced 15 per cent of the world’s population. Between 2010 and 2020, highly vulnerable regions, home to approximately 3.3- 3.6 billion people, experienced 15 times higher human mortality rates from floods, droughts and storms compared to regions with very low vulnerability. (United Nations, The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023: Special edition)
Bibliography：
(1）Monday Lecture12.15-1.15 PLANET & FASHION_KR_2023
(2）Sustainable Approaches in Textiles and Fashion : Circular Economy and Microplastic Pollution, edited by Subramanian Senthilkannan Muthu, Springer, 2022. ProQuest Ebook Central,
(3）http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/detail.action?docID=6950983.
P1:https://thetrendgaze.com/en/blog/2020/11/08/why-the-fashion-industry-should-adopt-a-circular-economy/
(4）https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/sustainable-fashion-trends
(5)The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023:Special edition