The Deal with Carbon
So... what’s the deal with carbon? When discussing absolutely anything related to sustainability and the fashion industry, carbon comes up as a major point of discussion; and if we’re being quite honest, I don’t really know a ton about carbon and its role within the sustainable fashion landscape. To better educate myself on the topic, I decided that the focus of this week’s post is carbon and its role in sustainable fashion.
To start things off, what is carbon? Carbon, which is found in carbon dioxide (CO2), is a greenhouse gas that traps heat close to the Earth. It helps the Earth hold some of the energy that it receives from the sun so it all doesn’t go straight back into space. If it weren’t for the greenhouse effect, the Earth would literally be rock-solid ice! Fossil fuels, which are carbon-containing molecules like oil, coal and natural gas, are what we use to energize our world – think cars, trucks, planes, heaters – things that require energy. Each and every time we burn these fossil fuels, we are releasing greenhouse gases, like CO2, back into the atmosphere. CO2, as well as other greenhouse gases, are good and necessary up to a point... but as too much CO2 accumulates in the atmosphere, the temperature of the Earth has steadily increased. The accumulation of greenhouse gases and gradual increase in Earth’s overall temperature is what’s known as global warming.
Now, what do carbon emissions have to do with the fashion industry? As stated by Rachel Arthur (2020), “the fashion industry currently contributes up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions, and the Global Fashion Agenda forecasts those emissions will increase by 50 per cent by 2030” (para. 4). What accounts for fashion’s major contribution to carbon emissions? Well, the life cycle of a piece of clothing is much longer than you probably realize. Beginning with its life as a raw material, an item of clothing must be produced, processed, created, shipped, sold, worn and unfortunately, often discarded.
Illustration from good on you depicting the life cycle of an item of clothing.
On top of that, it is very rare for the different stages of production to occur in one location, so both national and international shipping play a major role in carbon emissions. Overall, each stage of a clothing item’s production has some sort of impact on the environment (Lee, 2020). Regardless of whether or not you’re purchasing an item online, at your local fast-fashion store or from a high-end retailer, “that item has already [travelled] around the world in some form, and had a considerable impact on the environment up to that point in its journey” (Lee, 2020, para. 8). In an effort to create change, the two major sustainable fashion coalitions, the UN’s Fashion Charter and the G7 Fashion Pact, have placed decarbonization at the center of its sustainable efforts. As stated by Laila Petrie, joint chair of the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and CEO of environmental organization 2050, “decarbonization is the only option for survival...it’s going to be vital to de-risk and to prepare your value chains and your customer for this altered reality where resources are limited and there’s increasing effects felt from climate change” (Arthur, 2020, para. 5).
While decarbonization is something that needs to be addressed within the fashion industry by the brands and businesses themselves, what can fashion lovers do in the meantime? Support zero-waste brands. Zero-waste implies that the brands “offset all emissions and waste from their entire supply chain” (Lee, 2020, para. 12). Support brands that donate money towards organizations that combat climate change. Refrain from selecting “fast shipping” options. Attempt to purchase from places where you can pick-up in store or locally. Buy second-hand. Lastly, try to reduce your overall consumption in general.
As I said before, decarbonization must be internally addressed by the fashion industry, but there are things we as consumers can do in the meantime to try and reduce our overall environmental impact. Hopefully this helped you to better understand the role of carbon in the sustainable fashion landscape – I surely have a better grasp!
Bye for now,
McGee