Intended Audience
The fashion industry has a surprisingly large environmental footprint, estimated to contribute more than 5% to global carbon emissions, 25% of global specialty chemicals consumption, and use and pollute nearly 25,000 liters of water per capita annually. More than 90% of this impact occurs in China and the rest of the developing world, where forces of globalization have moved production, and environmental oversight is scarce. This presentation will review the hot spots of environmental impact along the full apparel manufacturing supply chain, from fiber production through consumer end use and will present the most important opportunities the industry has to reduce these impacts. It will feature a handful of the most notable sustainability initiatives undertaken by popular retailers and brands as well.