The Industry We Want has published new insights on purchasing practices, the wage gap and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
A multi-stakeholder initiative, The Industry We Want is facilitated by Fair Wear, Ethical Trading Initiative and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. It is dedicated to driving industry transformation towards dignity for workers in decent jobs, thriving businesses along the supply chain and a positive impact on the planet.
Its updated Industry Dashboard demonstrates a state of stagnation across three critical indicators for the progress of the garment industry.
The Dashboard illustrates the reality of workers, suppliers and other stakeholders in garment-producing countries through industry-wide scores on three critical issues in the sector: purchasing practices, the wage gap and GHG emissions.
Measuring the industry’s progress and galvanising action across the commercial, social and environmental spheres, the metrics are updated annually and serve as an accountability resource for the whole industry. The new scores show little to no progress in any of these areas.
In a statement, The Industry We Want said that the 2023 scores highlight the need for closer collaboration between stakeholders from along the supply chain across the following indicators:
The metric on purchasing practices is the only one showing minimal improvement: an increase by one point from 39 to 40 compared to 2022, mainly due to buyers increasing recognition of the importance of fair financial practices and timely forecasting. On the flip side, the individual sub-scores also indicate a decline in business stability and the visibility buyers provide to suppliers regarding their order planning.
The wage gap metric shows a 3.5 per cent increase to 48.5 per cent, meaning that, on an average, the difference between legal minimum wages and living wages has grown even further.
The GHG metric shows an increase of greenhouse gas emissions by 0.87 per cent to 896.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, mainly due to slight growth in fibre use and other factors. To stay within a 1.5°C trajectory – achieving a 45 per cent reduction by 2030 – the sector would need to reduce emissions from 0.889 Gt in 2019 to 0.489 Gt by 2030.
Alexander Kohnstamm, Executive Director at Fair Wear Foundation said, ‘This year’s The Industry We Want dashboard highlights the need to take action. Not tomorrow, but today. To drive systemic change, we need all actors in the supply chain to collaborate in equal partnerships. Let’s walk the talk together.”
