Sustainability: How Much Does It Matter To Consumers?

The apparel and footwear industry is all about style. When it comes to the fashionable world of environmental, social and governance trends, leading brands aren’t yet matching that style with substance.

According to the recently published Business of Fashion Sustainability Index, “the global economy has 10 years to avoid catastrophic change,” and though the fashion industry is talking about environmental and social responsibility more than ever before, their actions are not yet matching their “talk.” Fashion needs to play a prominent role in solving for the climate change due to both the physical impact it has on the environment and the cultural imprint it has on societal norms. As noted, the apparel industry is responsible for 10 percent of global carbon emissions — that’s more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.