The Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) has released its annual GFA Monitor for the third time in advance of COP29, showcasing the fashion industry’s progress and continuing obstacles in achieving net positivity. The Apparel Impact Institute, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Fair Labour Association, Social & Labour Convergence Program, Textile Exchange, and GFA’s impact partners collaborated to compile the report.
The five sustainability priorities—Respectful and Secure Work Environments, Better Wage Systems, Resource Stewardship, Smart Material Choices, and Circular Systems—were used to monitor progress, just as they were the year before.
Even though there have been notable improvements in the areas of respectful and secure work environments, such as flexible work schedules, the report emphasises that “continued efforts are needed to align industry standards and strengthen buyer-supplier partnerships.”
Initiatives that promote pay transparency, ethical purchasing, and collective bargaining have made some headway in resolving wage-related difficulties. By 2035, 14% more poll participants say they have goals for living wages and equitable pay through collective bargaining.
Although many businesses have environmental protection and climate change policies on their agendas, the system is under stress as a result of rising greenhouse gas emissions, resource consumption, and industry expansion.
While the percentage of recycled fibres has declined, the production of virgin synthetic fibres is at an all-time high, despite businesses increasingly establishing goals to use more sustainable materials and aligning with the UN’s 2030 ambitions. Nearly 30% of all cotton produced in 2023 was produced through sustainability initiatives, according to the reports.
Businesses are increasingly establishing goals, spending money on solutions, and putting circularity-related programs into action, especially when it comes to textile recycling and circular business models. Scale has frequently not yet been attained, nevertheless.
