Fashion giants fail in transparency and sustainability goals

According to the annual Global Fashion Transparency Index report published on Thursday, as much as 89% of global brands and clothing stores do not disclose information about their annual production volume, thereby avoiding responsibility for producing excessive amounts of clothing and CO2 emissions.

Up to 86% of clothing companies do not plan to stop using coal-generated energy, and 94% do not plan to introduce renewable energy, according to the Fashion Revolution document "What Drives Fashion?".

Less than half (43%) of brands are transparent and disclose information about their energy source, whether it be coal, gas, or renewable sources.

Big fashion’s zero-emissions claims may be disconnected from grid realities, creating a false sense of progress against climate targets, warn the report's authors.

In the sustainability ranking, the highest scores were achieved by Puma (70%), Gucci (74%), and H&M (61%). A decarbonization score of 0% was given to 32 brands, or 13%, including DKNY, Max Mara, New Yorker, and Reebok. The exclusive brand Dolce & Gabbana received a low score of 3%.

Only four out of the 250 brands surveyed met the emission reduction targets set by the United Nations for companies.

According to the report, ongoing climate changes could cost the fashion sector nearly 1 million jobs. Despite this, only seven brands, or 3%, disclosed that they financially support their employees in regions affected by the climate crisis.

The authors call on clothing brands to invest at least 2% of their annual income in renewable energy. This would offset the energy from fossil fuels currently used during production.

The document "What Drives Fashion?" was created by the non-profit organization Fashion Revolution. Based on publicly available data provided by the companies, the analysis covered 250 of the largest fashion brands and retailers, from Abercrombie & Fitch to Zara.