Post committing to cutting down on carbon emissions in Asia, which contributes to more than 50 per cent of global garment production, high-end fashion brands and sportswear labels including Hermes, H&M and Nike have been alleged of climate greenwashing.
In a report released by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), titled, The Missing Thread, as many as 65 brands were reported flouting the carbon emission norms and out of these brands, 44 labels had made public commitment. All of these brands fell short on adopting, ‘Just Transition’ policy – a policy introduced during COP27 in Egypt in 2022 that aims at inclusively shifting to a low-carbon economy while supporting workers.
As per the study, only four companies furnished guidance on heat-related stress and just two companies – Inditex and Kering, started promoting workers’ welfare. Natalie Swan, labour rights programme manager at BHRRC, expressed decarbonisation as a dangerous shortcut and also talked about how brands should take additional responsibility of engaging with trade unions and workers, who are not only vulnerable to climate change but also face danger with the company’s limited response to their welfare.
With the fashion industry on its way to becoming responsible for more than 25 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, Swan stressed on the fact that the brands should stop hiding behind greenwashing slogans and rather focus on building a cleaner and fairer and more resilient industry that caters to both people involved and planet.
