UNEP: Communication must play a critical role in fashion’s climate response

Communication change must be a driving force in the fashion sector’s climate response if it is to contribute to the goals of the Paris Agreement, according to a consultation led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

The work has resulted in a high-level communication commitment included in the renewed Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (Fashion Charter), convened by UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) announced today at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).

The fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to the climate and ecological crisis,responsible for between 2-8% of global carbon emissions. What’s more, on its current trajectory, it is expected to miss the 2030 emissions reduction targets by 50%.

The new commitment seeks to “Align consumer and industry communication efforts to a 1.5-degree or Science Based Targets initiative compatible pathway, as set out by the Paris Agreement Goals, as well as a more just and equitable future.” It lays out a common vision on how fashion communication must evolve to meet the sector’s sustainability targets and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Two women chatting
Emphasizing the need to incorporate storytelling, and for fashion communicators to both engage and take action; the commitment is directed towards anyone in the fashion sector responsible for messaging for consumer audiences – including fashion brands and retailers, and those working in marketing, advertising, PR, creative direction, visual media, content, social media and other channels. It also relates to those communicators who in turn support such companies, such as agencies, fashion and news media, digital platforms, activist groups, influencers and educators.

The commitment is a result of UNEP’s fashion communication consultation with over 160 organisations from across the value chain. The consultation, which was led in collaboration with Fashion Charter, incorporated global perspectives, with inputs from those driving sustainability as well as in those in communication roles.



Fashion’s environmental impact

A rickshaw carries discarded fabric waste in New Delhi
Clothing production approximately doubled in the first 15 years of this century, while the number of times a garment is worn before being discarded decreased by 36%. In one life cycle assessment carried out on behalf of UNEP, the use phase was considered responsible for 24% of the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions, with a baseline year of 2016. Further research shows extending the useful life of items and changing laundry practices could create the greatest reduction in climate impacts.

Steven Stone, Deputy Director, Economy Division, UNEP, said: “Addressing consumption is a central part of reducing climate impact – from the volume of new products purchased to the carbon footprint of how we use these products. We must work together to align all stakeholders across the fashion sector towards the 1.5-degree pathway of the Paris Agreement.”

UNEP’s recent report on Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain offers recommendations on how the fashion and textiles sector can shift towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production, in line with Sustainable Development Goal-12. It looks holistic change across all stakeholder groups, so as not to place the burden on individuals or consumers alone.

Shifting the narrative

UNEP’s consultations examined how a narrative shift could serve as a vehicle to expedite change.

Lucy Shea, CEO at Futerra, said: “Fashion is one of the most powerful marketing engines on earth. What brands, designers and media share, influences how individuals appear, feel and act around the world. As communicators from across all aspects of the fashion sector, we must come together and use our powers responsibly to motivate the wide-scale shift in attitudes and behaviour change that’s necessary to address today’s code red for humanity. This is fashion’s opportunity to be a wider part of the solution; to use its marketing prowess and position as architects of desire to shape new cultural norms and expectations.”

Aligning communication to goals of the Paris agreement

Models on runway
The consultation found that aligning fashion communication to the Paris agreement goals means promoting lifestyles and values that help limit global temperature rise.

Recommendations for communicators include:
Committing to accurate reporting and transparent communication efforts
Avoiding exaggeration or omission to appear more environmentally or socially friendly
Championing changes and demonstrating solutions to help individuals live more sustainable lifestyles
Spotlighting new role models and notions of aspiration or success
Celebrating the ecological, cultural and social values of the industry
Focusing on inclusive marketing and storytelling that encourages a more equitable industry
Motivating and mobilising the public to advocate for broader change
UNEP is shaping the insights and learnings from the consultation into guidelines for sustainable fashion communication, with examples of best practices for implementation and measurement. These are expected to be released in 2022.

The consultation noted that some of the current means of communicating will need to be eradicated to deliver on the climate agenda. This includes messages tied to overconsumption or shopping as reward, breaking markdown cycles, and not commodifying issues like the climate crisis. Participants recognised that changing the narrative would be a challenging task since fashion communications are often driven by a profit motive. It would require creativity and long-term thinking to decouple value from volume growth.

Experts agreed that the fashion sector has enormous potential to lay the foundations for a more sustainable and equitable future through its actions and its storytelling. Doing so will take bold vision, but could also set precedent for the wider climate movement, they said.