Planet

Planet is one of the four pillars of sustainability which focuses on environment. However, the fashion industry has a great impact of the planet all the way. After the oil business, the fashion industry is the second biggest polluter in the world. And as the sector develops, the environmental harm gets worse. The fashion sector uses a lot of water. All of our clothing is dyed and finished using a significant amount of freshwater. For comparison, 200 tonnes of freshwater are required to colour one tonne of fabric (Mathilde, 2017). In addition, The production of clothing contributes 10% of the world’s carbon emissions, and the majority of the world’s clothing is made in coal-dependent nations like China, Bangladesh, or India. In terms of carbon emissions, this form of energy is the most harmful. Although one may argue that greenhouse gas emissions are produced elsewhere as well, they are produced during the production, manufacturing, and transportation stages of the fashion supply chain (Sarah, 2021). In order to improve the problems above, circular economy comes out.

The circular economy is a framework for systems-level solutions that addresses issues including pollution, waste, biodiversity loss, and climate change. Eliminate waste and pollution, circulate goods and resources at their highest value, and restore nature are the key principles of the circular economy. It is supported by a shift to renewable energy and resources. A circular economy dissociates the use of limited resources from economic activity. It is a robust structure that benefits society, the economy, and the environment (Ellen Macarthur Foundation, 2020). For the moment, circular economy is viable which fits the situation at present. In general, circular economy is a cycle by using less and eco-friendly material to keep production sustainable.

Sustainability plays an irreplaceable role in fashion industry. The word “sustainability” most frequently refers to the environmental effects of producing including creating, processing and manufacturing from raw materials, using, caring, and discarding clothing. Thus, the United Nations set 17 sustainable development goals to guarantee the word “sustainability”.

The 13th goal Climate Action has a strong relationship with the fashion industry. The urgency of the climate calamity facing the globe is exceeding our ability to respond to it. The pace of global emissions increased in 2017. Between 2030 and 2052, if current trends continue, global warming is predicted to reach at least 1.5 degrees Celsius, posing serious dangers to human security, food security, livelihoods, health, and economic growth. These effects will worsen in the absence of quick and comprehensive transitions (Kaysie and Krista, 2019).

Planet is the foundation of everything in daily life letting alone fashion industry. The whole fashion business has to treat it as the basis for all actions.

Bibliography

Ellen Macarthur Foundation. (2020) Circular economy introduction. [online] Available at: <https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview> [Accessed 8 October 2022]

Kaysie, B.and Krista, R. (2019). The Sustainable Development Goal in 2019: People, Planet, Prosperity in focus. [online] Available at: <https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/the-sustainable-development-goals-in-2019-people-planet-prosperity-in-focus/> [Accessed 8 October 2022]

Mathilde, C. (2020). What’s wrong with the fashion industry? [online] Available at: <https://www.sustainyourstyle.org/en/whats-wrong-with-the-fashion-industry> [Accessed 8 October 2022]

Sarah, K. (2021). How The Fashion Industry Contributes To Pollution. [online] Available at: <https://www.sustainably-chic.com/blog/fashion-industry-pollution> [Accessed 8 October 2022]

UNSDGs. (2015) The 17 Goals. [online] Available at: <https://sdgs.un.org/goals> [Accessed 8 October 2022]