The COP 24 Climate Conference in Katowice marked a major step forward in the fashion segment as over 40 top fashion brands, including Burberry, Gap and H&M committed to the Fashion Industry Charter, setting the commitments to reduce the industry’s negative impact on the environment. The signatories pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The measures include phasing out coal-fired boilers or other sources of coal-fired heat.

The signatories of the Fashion Industry Charter will develop more detailed principles and action plans in early 2019. Greener alternatives include natural (e.g. indigo), low-impact dyes and unbleached fabrics. The certificates issued by the charter give a clue as to how the cloth was produced: for example, “Fair Trade” means that garment workers get a living wage. “Ecolabel” shows that there was minimum environmental impact during production. Some companies communicate their sustainability efforts on clothing tags.