The Fashion Industry and Climate Change: Taking Action to Build Resilience

The fashion industry is increasingly engaging in lobbying and advocacy to push for these kinds of projects. The UN Fashion Charter, for example, has been pushing for a global climate adaptation fund to help countries build resilience.

“We have to be part of the solution,” said Quass. “We have to be part of the conversation and the dialogue.”

The fashion industry is beginning to recognize the need to take climate change seriously. VF Corp‘s recent analysis of the risks that threaten its business, which included climate change for the first time, is a step in the right direction. But there is still much to be done. To make nature stronger, fashion companies must promote regenerative agricultural practices, which help sequester carbon and restore soil health and resilience. To build supply chains with a conscience, they must establish stronger, long-term partnerships with suppliers and go directly to communities on the ground to better understand the challenges they face. Finally, fashion brands must engage in lobbying and advocacy to push for infrastructure projects on a national scale to make manufacturing hubs climate-resilient. It is only through these measures that the fashion industry can truly address the potential adverse effects of climate change.