Lead by Kering, 32 fashion companies have vowed to become more environmentally friendly
As the country home to most of fashion’s biggest luxury labels, France is slowly but surely doing its part to help push the fashion industry into a more ethical direction. Just two months ago, a nationwide ban on the destruction of unsold merchandise was introduced and now, at the request of President Emmanuel Macron, 32 global brands have signed a new sustainably pact which will be presented at the G7 summit in France this weekend.
Fronted by the CEO of Kering, François-Henri Pinault, the ‘Fashion Pact G7’ states that fashion is one of the most “impactful” industries and “therefore should also have the power to play a pivotal role in leading the shift towards a more sustainable future.” Signatories include luxury brands such as Burberry, Prada, Hermes, and Chanel, as well as sportswear companies Adidas and Nike, and fast-fashion retailers like H&M and Gap.
With conversations surrounding climate change and sustainability becoming increasingly vital, it’s no wonder brands are keen to get involved. Sometimes this can feel superficial, but the global commitments outlined in the pact suggests these companies are serious about assessing their impact.
Created using the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and Science-Based Targets, the in-depth pact has three pillars of focus: climate, oceans and biodiversity. It aims to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; reduce the use of single-use plastics by 2030; support innovation to destroy the micro-fibre pollution created from the washing of synthetic materials and use materials which have no impacts on ecosystems or key species. Each individual company will be expected to meet quantitive targets with the hopes of limiting global warming by achieving ‘net-zero’ over the next 30 years.
Some of these companies know only too well the dangers of falling foul of today’s push for sustainability. Earlier this year, Saint Laurent came under fire for its violation of environmental regulations, after presenting its SS20 Menswear show on a beach in Malibu and creating a runway which locals claimed damaged the area's fragile ecosystem. Elsewhere, last year Burberry's push towards transparency sparked controversy, after reporting they burned merchandise worth millions. They have since banned this practice.
Here is a full list of the signatories:
• adidas
• Bestseller
• Burberry
• Capri Holdings Limited
• Carrefour
• Chanel
• Ermenegildo Zegna
• Everybody & Everyone
• Fashion3
• Fung Group
• Galeries Lafayette
• Gap Inc.
• Giorgio Armani
• H&m Group
• Hermes
• Inditex
• Karl Lagerfeld
• Kering
• La Redoute
• Matchesfashion.com
• Moncler
• Nike
• Nordstrom
• Prada Group
• Puma
• Pvh Corp.
• Ralph Lauren
• Ruyi
• Salvatore Ferragamo
• Selfridges Group
• Stella Mccartney
• Tapestry
