From new certifications to strategic partnerships between brands and beyond, 2019 has been a year in which retailers stepped up their green efforts—despite reports that showed consumers don't always want to pay for the extra costs associated with sustainably-made products.
Be that as it may, fashion industry insiders like Pierre Kim, the Head of Apparel at Away, believe that 2019 was a watershed year in that the fashion industry made real strides to redefine the entire ecosystem of fashion.
He believes the linchpin of these efforts was the signing of the G7 Fashion Pact and the UN's Sustainable Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action. Both agreements, which were signed by more than 150 fashion brands this year including the likes of Kering, Gap, Nike, Adidas, H&M, and Chanel, focused on reducing the industry's contribution to climate change.
“This was the first time major industry players set a level of ambition consistent with the UN Paris Agreement goal of keeping global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius via net-zero greenhouse gas emission goals, the use of renewable energy sources, and more,” Kim said.
