Initially printed on World Sources Institute.
As policymakers, enterprise leaders, civil society and others gathered in Glasgow in November for the twenty sixth U.N. Local weather Convention (COP26), the world was — and nonetheless is — off observe to restrict world temperature enhance to 1.5 levels Celsius. By the tip of COP26, 151 nations had submitted new local weather plans. These plans put the world on observe for 2.5C of warming by the tip of the century. On condition that the world is already at roughly 1.1C of warming, such a rise would have disastrous results. That is notably true for creating nations, a number of of that are key attire manufacturing nations.
Recognizing the implications of local weather change for his or her worth chains and enterprise fashions, a rising variety of attire corporations are making commitments and taking motion to cut back their greenhouse fuel emissions. Since 2019, the variety of attire corporations which have joined the Science Based mostly Targets initiative has elevated from roughly a dozen to over 140.
Given this momentum, WRI teamed up with the Attire Impression Institute to publish “Roadmap to Internet Zero: Delivering Science-Based mostly Targets within the Attire Sector.” The roadmap lays out the steps that attire corporations and the sector should take to ship their bold targets and considerably scale back emissions. If the attire sector follows these steps, it may ship over 60 p.c of the emissions reductions wanted for the business to remain on a 1.5C pathway in step with the Paris Settlement.
A contemporary estimate of attire sector emissions
Utilizing knowledge from Higg, the Sustainable Attire Coalition (SAC) and Textile Alternate, the attire sector emitted an estimated 1.025 metric gigatons (Gt) of carbon dioxide equal (CO2e) in 2019, or roughly 2 p.c of annual world greenhouse fuel emissions. Materials manufacturing — reminiscent of knitting, weaving, dyeing and ending — contributes to over 50 p.c of those emissions. Uncooked materials extraction — reminiscent of cotton farming and oil and fuel extraction for synthetics — creates roughly 1 / 4 of emissions.
Below business-as-usual progress projections, emissions will develop to 1.588 Gt by 2030, nicely off tempo to ship the 45 p.c absolute discount wanted throughout all sectors to restrict warming to the Paris Settlement’s aim.
Tips on how to scale back emissions within the attire sector
Whereas attire sector emissions are trending within the flawed course, there may be nice potential for mitigation within the sector. The roadmap identifies six interventions throughout the attire worth chain that may ship over 60 p.c of the mandatory reductions to remain on tempo for a 1.5 levels C situation:
Business name to motion
To shut the hole and keep on tempo with the 1.5 levels C pathway, the attire sector should considerably step up its efforts to cut back emissions. To make this doable, the sector should take the next actions:
1. Collaborate to enhance sector GHG affect knowledge.
Attire corporations ought to collaborate with organizations reminiscent of Textile Alternate, the Higg and SAC to enhance the state of affect knowledge. Textile Alternate yearly publishes a complete report on fibers and supplies utilized in textiles, and likewise helps develop, keep and promote requirements on most popular supplies such recycled polyester and natural cotton.
The Higg and SAC have developed and are constantly increasing and enhancing on the Higg Index, which is usually considered by sector specialists as one of the best accessible platform for measuring attire sector affect knowledge. Manufacturers ought to work with producers to compile extra sturdy major manufacturing knowledge by way of the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM), whereas materials suppliers can measure the greenhouse fuel emissions from their supplies and contribute this knowledge to the Higg Supplies Sustainability Index (MSI).
2. Ramp up efforts on manufacturing power effectivity.
There’s a important alternative to make textile and attire manufacturing extra energy-efficient and scale back prices by way of steps reminiscent of improved insulation of heating programs, warmth seize and extra environment friendly motors for mechanical gear. The roadmap fashions an effectivity enchancment of 15 p.c per unit of manufacturing. Based mostly on discussions with business specialists and the Attire Impression Institute’s expertise, this needs to be achievable in lots of services.
3. Spend money on and incentivize renewable power within the provide chain.
The prices of producing electrical energy from photo voltaic and wind continues to say no and is on par with different types of electrical energy in lots of nations. The boundaries to photo voltaic and wind power are sometimes much less about the price or the expertise itself, and extra about elements such because the regulatory atmosphere or wanted capital funding. For instance, electrical energy market rules in some Indian states restrict corporations’ potential to buy electrical energy from sources aside from the utility, whereas off-site energy buy agreements (PPAs) — important for sourcing renewable electrical energy at scale — usually are not accessible in key attire manufacturing nations reminiscent of Vietnam.
The transition to renewable electrical energy would speed up if manufacturers supported and incentivized their producers, reminiscent of by way of co-investment in on-site renewables tasks and preferential therapy for producers shifting to 100% renewable power.
4. Scale up using sustainable supplies and processes.
Manufacturers ought to decide to utilizing the next share of sustainable supplies, reminiscent of recycled polyester and recycled or natural cotton. Textile Alternate’s annual report supplies a range data on sustainable supplies, together with volumes, developments and key suppliers. Textile Alternate additionally supplies instruments to assist designers select extra sustainable options, as does Higg with the MSI (which supplies quantitative materials affect knowledge).
Along with materials substitution, the sector can even want to cut back GHG emissions within the provide chain of typical supplies reminiscent of cotton. As we describe within the roadmap, cotton emissions might be decreased by way of steps reminiscent of enter effectivity (utilizing much less fertilizer and water) and deploying renewable electrical energy for cotton ginning and irrigation.
5. Spend money on analysis and growth for subsequent era supplies and options for thermal power.
Not like interventions reminiscent of power effectivity which might be able to be deployed, the business might want to put money into creating subsequent era supplies (textile to textile recycling) and discover options to coal for thermal power (heating water for dyeing and different course of power). Whereas particular person corporations and small teams of corporations are engaged on options together with biomass and electrification for thermal power, considerably extra funding is required to convey these options to scale.
6. Handle the elephant within the room: consumption.
Even when the sector is ready to tackle the above actions, it’s going to nonetheless face a niche in decreasing emissions and proceed to produce other impacts together with water air pollution from textile manufacturing and pre- and post-consumer waste. It’s encouraging to see the emergence of enterprise fashions that decouple income from promoting extra new merchandise, reminiscent of attire resale and rental. Such fashions may help deal with what WRI has referred to as the elephant within the boardroom: unchecked consumption. Nevertheless, creating extra of those fashions at a bigger scale are important to cut back emissions.
Time for motion
Reworking the attire sector is feasible, however it’s going to require heeding this name and taking the steps outlined within the roadmap. Reaching these steps would require unprecedented collaboration and funding, however it’s going to end in a extra sustainable, resilient and equitable sector sooner or later.
