Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1170372
FASHION ISN'T USUALLY a hot topic at the annual G7 summit, but this year, a new initiative called e Fashion Pact has brought it to the forefront of talks about climate change. It's an unprecedented agreement by some of the biggest names in the industry—including Chanel, Salvatore Ferragamo, Nordstrom, Nike and H&M—to reduce waste and environmental impact. Announced at the summit in Biarritz, France on August 23 by Kering Chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault and French President Emmanuel Macron, the pact is unprecedented in scale and size. But will it be enough? e Fashion Pact's primary goals are threefold: to reduce global warming by achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; to restore biodiversity, with a focus on restoring ecosystems and protecting endangered species; and preserving the oceans, largely by reducing the presence of single-use plastics. Other signatories include Burberry, Hermès, Moncler and Ralph Lauren. For many companies, this will mean a dramatic shift in everything from manufacturing to shipping practices. Labels like Stella McCartney have long led the charge on sustainability issues, but others, and the industry as a whole, have a ways to go. According to a 2016 report by the United Nations, the global fashion industry is responsible for 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions and 20 percent of all wasted water. "e Fashion Pact will be for our Group not the beginning of the sustainability journey but the continuation of a commitment initiated by our Founder Ermenegildo Zegna more than a century ago. at's our legacy and our responsibility," explains Gildo Zegna, CEO of the eponymous Italian fashion house, which has signed the pact. e pact has been in the works since April, and going forward, signatories hope to enlist 20 percent of the global fashion industry in the effort. Many observers, however, can't help but wonder how exactly the companies plan to achieve their lofty goals, and even whether the Pact goes far enough. A follow-up meeting during which brands will make more specific pledges has been scheduled for October. Acknowledging that they don't yet have all the details hammered out, Chanel says that the brand has "had goals in place for many years to reduce its own environmental footprint." "ese goals are key to its transformation strategy, and the House has stepped up its investments in this area," a spokesperson for the brand adds. 140 BAL HARBOUR Sustainable Style More than 30 fashion companies have signed a pact to battle climate change. Is the tide finally turning for the notoriously wasteful industry? BY CAIT MUNRO Desert Dancer in the Sahara, by Katie Rodgers