Efforts to tackle the climate crisis and inequality in fashion industry are not nearly fast enough.

• Only 11% of brands publish on identified human rights and environmental risks and violations, while just 8% of brands disclose their actions to cease, prevent, mitigate and remedy these issues
• Only less than 1% of spending of large businesses on suppliers is earned by womenowned businesses
• In many countries, shareholder value is still prioritised, no matter the consequences for workers, communities and the environment
• There is lacking knowledge and insight into how to remove barriers to implementing circular principles
• Brands just started disclosing their suppliers
• Labour rights are likely to take the most attention, so no bottom-up initiatives for environmental objectives can be expected
• Small business owners are not able to access finance for moving to more environmentally sustainable practices
• Carbonneutral and circular technologies are of key importance in enabling new production and business models
• There are no framework or standard for data sharing between systems, an aspect considered critical to be able to address risks and unlock circular economy opportunities within the fashion industry
• A majority of companies lack awareness or understanding as well as reliable and standardised reporting mechanisms of their sustainability performance relating for ex. to water use and wastewater treatment, to microfibers and microplastic release
• Producers and farmers face increasing threats like water scarcity, ecosystem quality, that could have major implications for the future availability of raw material for the fashion industry, especially natural fibres
• Recycling technology is not sufficiently advanced to be used at scale and deliver truly circular outcomes in case of fiber recycling
• Lack of consumer understanding of sustainability labels and social media driving the fast fashion culture hinder progress
• Gender-based violence, human rights violations, including modern slavery, child labour, low pay, gender violence or unsafe and unsecure working conditions, occur sector-wide, also occurring in the US and Europe, not only Asia. 

Look for more info in the Laudes Foundation baseline report 4CF Strategic Foresight had the pleaseure to work on. Click to access the report here.