Planet
One of the four pillars of the fashion industry, the planet, which is connected to all life, has recently suffered significant damage. Unbeknownst to consumers, the fashion industry has played a significant role in global pollution and climate change. 10% of the carbon emissions produced by humanity come from the fashion industry. In addition, 85% of all textiles are disposed of in landfills annually (UNECE, 2018).
In order to make the world a better place, Nations United has come up with seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Two questions now arise: what is sustainability and how can the SDGs help all?
First of all, sustainability is defined as “filling the demand of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own requirements” by the United Nations Brundtland Commissions in 1987, which is to make better use of all resources while continuing to support the biological cycle of growth.
Sustainability appears to be the antithesis of the quest of fashion in this age of quick fashion. For instance, cotton, which provides work for 250 million people globally, accounts for nearly half of all textile production. Pesticides, however, are cotton’s main environmental impact, and diverting water for irrigation not only uses a lot of water but also negatively affects the biodiversity and soil health of the region. (https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/cotton) Of course, chemicals used in the manufacture of garments, such bleach, also contribute to water contamination. According to a report by Water Witness International (WWI), Lesotho and Tanzania in southern Africa have polluted rivers that have made the water blue or as alkaline as bleach (Reuters, 2021) Another human cost of fast fashion is: Women are more likely than men to work in textiles in underdeveloped nations, where they are frequently paid absurdly low pay and subjected to unfavourable working conditions (UNEP, 2018; WRI, 2019). These situations violate human rights in numerous places (Human Rights Watch).
All facets of the fashion supply chain are impacted by gender inequality, including the egregious treatment of garment workers’ rights, the scarcity of prospects for professional advancement, and the disturbingly low representation of women in leadership roles. Currently, women hold 25% of the leadership roles in the largest fashion companies, accounting for 70% of the workforce (The Sustainable Fashion Collective, 2021 ). Looking at Goal 5 of the SDGs: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, in the last few decades more girls have been going to school, more female leaders have emerged and the number of girls forced into earlier marriages has declined. But with the advent of covid-19, more women are beginning to live as fucking unpaid carers or volunteers, and more frontline female health care workers are receiving pneumonia. Living in isolation also exposed more women and girls to domestic violence. In response, the fashion industry needs to do what it can to allow women of all races, ages and sizes to be comfortable being themselves. The more people in general are treated with respect and fairness then the imbalance between been men and women will naturally be addressed. will naturally be addressed (British Vogue, 2015).
Reference：
Accessed on October 8, 2022
Stephanie Steele (1 July 2021) The importance of achieving gender equality in the fashion sector
WWF (Spring 2014) Cotton｜Industries
Reuters (18 August) Report: Fast Fashion Spurs Pollution of Africa’s Rivers
United Nation (19 November 2021) Environmental Sustainability in the Fashion Industry
Daniel Thomas Mollenkamp (23 June 2022) What is Sustainability? How Sustainabilities Work, Benefits, and Example
United Nation (2022) Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
British Vogue (6 August 2015) #HeForShe｜All Access Vogue｜British VogueU