Prospects for systemic transformation in the textile sector

Policymakers, industry representatives and associations, civil society, young people and scientists gathered on May 16 in Brussels to consider how to move the textile sector towards sustainability and circularity.

The event, co-hosted by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), heard from representatives across the textile value chain on the systemic changes needed to reduce the industry’s significant environmental impact.

Each year, the textile sector emits between 2 and 8 percent of global greenhouse gases, uses natural water resources equivalent to 86 million Olympic swimming pools, and is responsible for 9 percent of microplastic pollution in the oceans.

Following an introduction by UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen, Veronika Hunt Šafránková, Head of UNEP’s Brussels Office, reiterated the need to ensure a more sustainable sector.

“For people struggling to make ends meet, the affordability of textiles is a blessing.” – said Šafránková. “But throwaway models are not in anyone’s best interest. They are a clear cause of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, loss of nature and biodiversity, and pollution and waste.”

“We simply need a paradigm shift towards a fair and circular textile economy,” said Zakia Khattabi, Belgian Minister of Climate, Environment, Sustainable Development and the Green Deal. “It is not a matter of choosing between the economy and the environment. Rather, it is about supporting an economy that is resilient, equitable and in harmony with both people and planet, where no one is left behind.”

The textile sector provides livelihoods and opportunities for millions of workers, generating $1.5 trillion in revenue while providing products essential to human well-being. At the same time, the sector is trying to address its impact on the environment, women, vulnerable workers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Policy priorities and needs

A panel with representatives from countries, industry and SMEs, reflecting on the priorities and needs that policies at European Union and global level can help. Participants looked at the impacts of producing raw materials for textiles and clothing and how to change patterns of overconsumption while ensuring the livelihoods of those involved across the global value chain.

European Union rules on waste and textile shipments will be more effective if they are supported by capacity-building measures for producers in the European Union’s main textile trading partners such as India, panellists said. This is especially true for small-scale producers who practice most sustainable production methods but may find traceability reporting standards burdensome.

Panelists also highlighted the need for better information sharing, global product traceability and collective action to tackle the microplastics problem, while the private sector demanded clear rules for everyone to follow.

The UNEP report on Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain presents stakeholders, including policymakers, with actionable steps to achieve priorities such as eliminating hazardous chemicals, ending overproduction and overconsumption, and promoting circular business models .

Global policy coherence

The event recognized that meeting the challenges of the textile value chain requires a systems-level approach. She highlighted the importance of the sector in the implementation of several multilateral environmental agreements. These include the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Kunming-Montreal Global Diversity Framework, the Global Chemicals Framework, the Paris Agreement, and the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastics Pollution.

The European Union is leading the way in sustainable textile policy and legislative proposals that will involve producing countries along the value chain, in particular developing countries. The EU Circular and Sustainable Textiles Strategy sets out the need for sustainable textile production and consumption, calling for all textile products sold on the EU market to be designed, produced, used and reused in a circular way by 2030.

The event highlighted how crucial global collaboration will be, given the complexity of the sector. Discussions focused on the need to ensure an unprecedented level of policy coherence and coordination between countries and stakeholders, as well as the need to support women and vulnerable workers affected by other countries’ policies.

“UNEP is working to build this coordination,” Šafránková said. “We stand ready to use our convening power to support government-led and inclusive policy dialogue to scale up action to ensure a more sustainable development of the textile sector.”

Youth demands the transformation of textiles

The event closed with a youth forum on sustainable fashion consumption. The forum showed the power of young people as consumers and strengthened their demands for change and redefining social values.

The youth forum also provided information on how to transform the current and future fashion industry towards sustainability. Participants reflected on policy solutions during a panel with young industry representatives, including a former model and responsible fashion expert, a young designer entrepreneur, a marketing specialist and a public affairs expert in the field of fabric fibers, as well as representatives of the Commission European and Academia.

The panel confirmed the role and power of youth as declared agents of change. The need to change the narrative to achieve a circular textile industry was highlighted. In addition to focusing on eco-design and repairability of clothing, addressing the over-consumption and over-production of textiles, wider collaboration between the textile industry and emerging creators was considered key to systemic transformation in the sector.

For further information on UNEP’s textile activities, please contact Bettina Heller, [email protected].

UNEP has identified textiles as a high-impact sector, not only because of its significant environmental and social impact, but also because it exemplifies the challenges many sectors face in terms of supply chain visibility, over-consumption and over-production, and circularity. UNEP’s One Textile Initiative provides strategic leadership and encourages collaboration across the sector to accelerate a just transition towards a sustainable, circular textile value chain. It outlines the need for a radical and rapid transformation of the fashion sector towards circularity, and captures and harmonizes all UNEP’s work on textiles.