DAY ONE
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Conversation: Heating up: Climate change & the fashion industry
Dr Martin Rice, The Climate Council & Kit Willow, KITX.
To reduce global heating scientists and creatives must collaborate
Climate change is not a problem for the future, it’s happening now
Are still trending towards catastrophic 3.1 degree climate heating
We need to be carbon neutral by 2030, and by 2045 need to be taking CO2 out of the atmosphere to ensure the planet is still livable by 2100
Global fashion industry accounts for more CO2 emissions than shipping and air travel combined
The creative industries have the skills to approach problems differently
Dr. Martin Rice and Kit Willow, both passionate climate activists, have very different backgrounds but both believe that science and creativity must combine forces to change the future. In a conversation led by by Clare Press they discussed how the fashion industry impacts climate heating, the responsibility it has to minimise that impact - and how it can inspire and drive positive change.
Acknowledging that the fashion industry creates significant CO2 emissions, they agreed on a need to act both globally and locally - as we are still on track for the 3.1 degrees heating that the Paris Agreement states would be catastrophic.
https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement
Kit is driven by the knowledge that “by 2030 we need to be carbon neutral, and by 2045 need to be taking CO2 out of the atmosphere to ensure the planet is still livable by 2100”, and says we can “take the disillusion pill and pretend it’s not real - or face reality and do something about it.”
With raw materials creating the biggest impact in the KitX supply chain, she prioritises materials with a low carbon footprint - which means avoiding virgin nylon and polyester in particular as their production releases toxic nitrous oxide.
Dr. Rice believes that the creative industries have a huge role to play in inspiring positive change. “It’s cutting edge, it’s creative, you (the industry) have the skills to create those solutions.”
He also reminded us that one of the easiest changes to make is ensuring your business to be powered by a clean energy source - so if it’s not yet, make the switch now.
Keynote: The State of Fashion 2019
Jenny Cermak, McKinsey & Co
“Sustainability” is trending - but we still need to define what that means.
Three of BoF/McKinsey’s 2019 trends are directly related to sustainability
‘The end of ownership’
‘Getting woke’
‘Radical transparency’
No one knows industry insight like BoF and McKinsey, with The State of Fashion reports a fixture for understanding shifts in the fashion and retail landscape. Jenny Cermak of McKinsey & Co took Legacy Summit delegates through the most recent findings.
“Uncertainty” is one of the keywords CEOs have been using to describe the fashion and retail industries in the past 3 years; a state of constant volatility has been accepted and executives have moved towards a more proactive stance, with a growing appetite for sustainable development and innovation.
As Jenny explained, business “must be able to stand for something. It’s an expectation, not a differentiator.”
Of the top 10 trends identified in the BoF x McKinsey report The State of Fashion 2019 three are directly related to sustainability.
“An increasingly important priority is sustainability and transparency, reflecting rising concerns on the part of consumers and companies about how to alleviate their impact on the environment. Sustainability, which for the first time breaks into our respondents’ list of the most important challenges, is evolving from a tick-box exercise into a transformational feature that is engrained in the business model and ethos of many recent success stories.”
The end of ownership
The lifespan of the fashion product is becoming more elastic as pre-owned, refurbished, repair and rental business models continue to evolve. Fashion players will increasingly tap into this market to gain access to new consumers seeking both affordability and a move away from the permanent ownership of clothing.
Getting woke
Younger generations’ passion for social and environmental causes has reached critical mass, causing brands to become more fundamentally purpose driven to attract both consumers and talent. Consumers from some, but not all markets will reward players that take a strong stance on social and environmental issues beyond traditional CSR.
Radical Transparency
After years of having personal data owned and handled by businesses, a more distrusting consumer now expects companies to reciprocate with radical transparency and sharing of information. For companies to meet a new bar for consumer trust, they will need to offer a heightened level of transparency along dimensions such as value for money, creative integrity and data protection.
Despite a growing awareness there is an overarching understanding that the concept of a “sustainable” industry is complex, with a need to remove ambiguity around the implications and benefits of investing in this area in order for big companies to drive lasting change.
Find the full BoF report at: https://cdn.businessoffashion.com/reports/The_State_of_Fashion_2019.pdf
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Keynote: Promoting decent work & improving the lives of garment workers
Eliza Ward, Ethical Trading Initiative, UK
Keeping human rights at the core of decision making.
The Rana Plaza disaster was not an accident - it was a systemic failure
Workers did not have the power to say no to going into the factory
90% of garment workers are not able to unionise or negotiate their own wages
The ETI Base Code is an international code of labour standards, based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP’s)
The ETI Due Diligence Framework is an approach to due diligence that is holistic, inclusive and cost effective
Introducing Legacy Summit delegates to the ETI Base Code and the ETI Due Diligence Framework, Eliza highlighted that human rights disasters such as Rana Plaza are not accidents - they are systemic failings. Workers did not have the agency to unionise and refuse to return to work in unsafe conditions.
She explained that the Modern Slavery Act has caused many consumer facing businesses to take stock of their supply chains, and reiterated the need to keep “the intended beneficiary”, the worker, at the core of action on labour conditions.
The ETI Base Code is an international code of labour standards, based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP’s).
The ETI Due Diligence Framework is a four step process for businesses to identify and act upon actual and potential human rights risks for workers - an approach to due diligence that is holistic, inclusive and cost effective.
Assess actual and potential human rights risks
Identify leverage, responsibility and actions
Mitigate risks and provide remedy for workers
Monitor, review, report and improve
“The Rana Plaza disaster was a systemic failure. Workers did not have the agency to unionise and refuse to return to work in unsafe conditions.”
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Sed a ligula quis sapien lacinia egestas. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Mauris id fermentum nulla.