Fashion brands grapple with greenwashing: "It's not a human right to say something is sustainable"

Earlier this month in Singapore, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, a non-profit alliance that represents more than half of the global apparel and footwear industry, is gathered for its annual meeting. There was a big question in the minds of attendees: how would the coalition respond to allegations of greenwashing?

In June, the use of a tool that the coalition had spent a decade developing to measure the industry's environmental impacts was suspended after the Norwegian Consumer Authority issued a warning that it could not be used to support sustainability claims. By then, some major players - including Adidas and Kering - had already opted out of using the tool, called Higg MSI, with Kering citing concerns about the accuracy of the data.

The coalition The cause was further hampered by the publication of a Stand.earth report which found that despite the commitment to reduce emissions, the fashion industry's carbon footprint has increased and has continued to grow. Of the ten companies assessed, nine were members of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. The fashion industry is responsible for 2-8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and despite a recent increase in products described as sustainable and promises to reduce emissions, according to the World Resources Institute, the environmental footprint of the sector is expected to grow by 60% by 2030.

The fashion industry is facing a vast crackdown on greenwashing, as regulators around the world are trying to find a way to remedy misleading environmental claims on products. For example, describing polyester products as "recycled" when the material can no longer be reused at the end of its life.

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At the end of November, the European Union will announce rules on how brands must make green claims, and regulations are expected to follow. In Australia, the ACCC is conducting sweeps to uncover misleading environmental marketing and sustainability claims.

Norwegian Consumer Authority guidelines highlight a problem key for fashion brands. While there is significant business potential in marketing yourself as eco-friendly, proving these claims is much more difficult. More and more consumers want to know how sustainable their consumption choices are. A recent UK survey by Deloitte found that 34% of shoppers have stopped buying products from certain brands due to environmental or ethical concerns.

Greenwashing is rampant in the fashion industry “for a long time” says Maxine Bédat, director of the New Standard Institute. It is only with a change in methodology and “better data that we will be able to see if, as an industry , we are making progress or not".

"Faulty data is worse than no data," says Tonje Drevland, head of the monitoring department of the Norwegian Data Protection Authority. consumers. "You need to know what you're saying is correct. You need to have facts to back up what you're saying."

At the annual meeting of the SAC, Norway's guidelines were presented as an opportunity to work collaboratively to improving Higg tools, and looking for ways to make systemic changes, including embracing circularity and renewable energy. "I do not do it...