Sustainable Fashion

Sustainable Fashion: What It Is and Why It Matters

Fashion is one of the most influential and creative industries in the world, but it also has a dark side. The fashion industry is responsible for a shocking 4–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions every year, more than those from aviation and shipping combined. It also consumes huge amounts of water, generates massive amounts of waste and pollution, and exploits millions of garment workers around the world.

But there is a growing movement to change this. Sustainable fashion is an all-inclusive term describing products, processes, activities, and actors (policymakers, brands, consumers) aiming to achieve a carbon-neutral fashion industry, built on equality, social justice, animal welfare, and ecological integrity.

Sustainable fashion is not just about buying clothes labelled as “sustainable” or “eco-friendly”. It is about rethinking our entire relationship with fashion, from how we produce and consume clothes, to how we value and care for them. It is about choosing quality over quantity, longevity over trends, and ethics over profits.

How to be a sustainable fashion consumer

As consumers, we have the power to influence the fashion industry with our choices and actions. Here are some ways we can be more sustainable fashion consumers: