Planet

Planet is a crucial pillar of the Fashion Business School. It discusses the importance of sustainability and the value of maintaining a healthy planet for consumers and producers alike. It is a relevant point of discussion in relation to the $1.5 trillion dollar fashion industry (P.Smith, 2022). The industry is one of the greatest contributors towards the destruction of our planet. It ‘produced around 2.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018’ which is ‘the equivalent to the combined annual emissions of France, Germany and the UK’ (Achim Berg, Anna Granskog, Libbi Lee, Karl Hendrik Magnus, 2020). Fashion has an undisputed detrimental impact; it is crucial it provides solutions before the point of climate catastrophe.  

Industry Greenhouse Gas emissions:

‘the equivalent to the combined annual emissions of France, Germany and the United Kingdom’

McKinsey&Co, Fashion on Climate: How the Fashion Industry can urgently act to reduce its GHG Emissions

In close collaboration with the Planet pillar comes the term sustainability. As defined by the UN, sustainability is ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (United Nations,1987). Fashion does not adhere to this definition of sustainability. It meets the needs of the present, but not without cost to the future. Overproduction is a contributing factor – ‘an environmentally catastrophic strategy’ (Graeme Moran,2022). Consumer desire for newness drives strategy towards constant input of new lines, with outdated ones straight left to waste. A brand that champions this strategy is Zara. They ship ‘new items to the 6,500 boutiques’ ‘twice a week’ (Thomas Dana, 2019), making it ‘roughly four times more profitable than its peers’ (Thomas Dana,2019) but also one of the worst contributors towards the unsustainable fast fashion crisis. Fashion must become more sustainable in all areas from the first stages of consumption to the consumption and usage of apparel.  

An opportunity to become more sustainable is a new Circular System. Circularity is a way in which fashion can improve sustainability and limit any further negative impact. It can put an end to the wasteful linear system. The Circular Economy ensures clothes are reused as much as possible in order to reduce their carbon footprint. It discourages overconsumption and encourages the recycling, recovery and reuse of garments.  

A Sustainable Development Goal that closely links to fashion is Climate Action. The goal pressurizes the trillion-dollar industry to assist in the fight for a climate solution. It highlights malpractice within brands and encourages multinational companies to spread a climate aware message to consumers. An example of this is Kourtney Kardashian and Boohoo’s new sustainable, as labelled, partnership. An individual with such an influence upon a ‘captive audience of fans who may not necessarily know- or care – much about sustainable fashion’ can aid the progression of the Climate Action goal. If consumers care, brands will follow.  

Reference List 

Achim Berg, Anna Granskog, Libbi Lee, Karl Hendrik Magnus, 2020, Fashion on climate: How the fashion industry can urgently act to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions, (https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/fashion-on-climate) (08/10/22) 

Graeme Moran,2022, Collaborating for Change: Sustainability Report 2022, https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/collaborating-for-change-sustainability-report-2022, (09/10/22)  

P.Smith, 2022, Statista (https://www.statista.com/forecasts/821415/value-of-the-global-apparel-market) (08/10/22) 

Thomas Dana, 2019, Fashionopolis, p37, p38 

United Nations, 1987, United Nations Brundtland Commission, https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/sustainability (09/10/22)