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JASON LLOYD-EVANS

ENCH LUXURY
roupKeringhaslong
een a leader in fashion
ustainability.It haseliminated
9 percentof PVCacrossitsbrands,
vereplacedthermoplasticpolyurethane(TPU)
withbioplastics.InpartnershipwithPricewaterhouseCoopers,it
developedtheEnvironmentalProfitandLosssystem,knownas
EP&L,whichcalculatesa company’simpactontheenvironment
andhelps determinecleanerpractices.Kering publishesEP&L
resultsandsharesthesystemwithitscompetitors.Keringhouse
Gucciwentfur-freein 2017 andKeringusesa metal-freetanning
processformuch of itsbrands’ leather production. Itrecently
committed to full carbon-neutrality. And this past August, in
whatmaybethecompany’smostfar-reachingact,chairmanand
chief executive François-Henri Pinault, as tasked by French
PresidentEmmanuelMacron,pulledtogetherleadingplayersin
fashionandtextilestosigna pacttoreducetheirindustries’envi-
ronmentalharm.TheFashionPact,as it is known,wasunveiledat
theG7meetinginBiarritz,France.InadditiontoKering,whose
brandsincludeSaintLaurentandBalenciaga,theinitial 32 com-
paniestosigntheagreementincludedadidas,Burberry,Chanel,
Gap, Giorgio Armani, H&M, Prada, Stella McCartney and
Matchesfashion.com.Together,theyrepresented 150 brands.
ThePact’s aimis todecelerateglobalwarmingbydeployinga
three-pillar plan: meet zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050;
restorenaturalecosystemsandprotectspecies;andreduceoceanpol-
lution,eventuallyabolishingtheindustry’suseofsingle-useplastic.
AsthePactstatesinitsmanifesto,“Wehavelost 60 percentofspe-
ciesandecosystemfunctionality”and“90percentof largefish”;“by
2050 coralreefsmaynolongerexist,remainingoceanfisheriesmay
havecollapsedandtherecouldbemoreplasticintheoceanthan
fish”.ManyofthePact’sgoalsaresetbyScience-BasedTargets,a
jointinitiativeofCDP,theUnitedNationsGlobalCompact,the
World Resources Institute and WWF that helps companies set

ambitiousandmeaningfulcorporate

greenhouse-gas-reduction goals. And

thePact encouragessignatories to reach

100 percent renewableenergy intheirown

operationsby2030.Initialparticipantshopethat 20

percentofthefashionbusinesswilladoptthesemeasures.

Alllaudatory.Withinweeks ofthe announcement,however,

sustainablefashionproponentsquestionedwhatthePact’sactual

efficacywillbe.First,asI heardseveraltimesfromexperts,it is a

nonbindingagreement—meaningnobodyactuallyhastodoany

ofthis; onepunditcalled it “toothless”.Secondly, someof the

commitmentshadalreadybeen putforthby theCOP21 Paris

Agreementin 2015,theUnitedNations’SustainableDevelopment

GoalsandtheEuropeanCommission.Andperhapsmostimpor-

tant:whatabouttheother 80 percent?

Yes,it is righttoapplaudtheonefifthoffashioncompaniesfor

embracingsustainableobjectivesandputtingthemintopractice.

But, as Sienna Somers, policy and research co-ordinator for

FashionRevolution,a UK-basednot-for-profitthatcampaignsfor

greatersupplychaintransparency,noted:“Iftheremaining 80 per

centoftheindustryis notmakingprogresstowardstacklingcli-

matechange,theseactionswillnotbeenough.”

Hercolleague,FashionRevolution’spolicyandresearchman-

ager,IlishioLovejoy,concurs:“Ifonly 20 percentofthefashion

industry is committing to net-zero, we will far exceed” the

1.5-degreeCelsiuspathwaybetweennowand 2100 thatexperts

havedeclaredwemustmaintaintoavoidclimatecatastrophe.

Indeed,Somersconcludes:“Thiswillbetoolittle,toolate.”

Insum,consumersmustdemandmorefromtheindustry,and

callformoretransparencyandresponsibility,bothon environ-

mentalandhumanitarianlevels. Only then will all brands step up

anddotherightthing.

It is uptous.

DanaThomasis theauthorof Fashionopolis:ThePriceof

Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes (Head of Zeus).

The FASHION PACT

Readingbetweenthelinesoftheindustry’s

landmarksustainabilityagreement.

By Dana Thomas

BackstageatGucci

A/W 2019.

56 HARPERSBAZAAR.COM.AU December 2019