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‘Profit is being prioritised over climate action’ – British fashion is falling behind on sustainability

A new report claims that fewer than 4% of London fashion week designers have published emissions reduction targets, compared with 44% of all UK companies. Why is the industry so slow to reform?

“There’s a fear of things that are new,” giving the example of next-gen bio materials, such as leather made from plant waste, which are still relatively under the radar, unlike plant-based meat substitutes. Prioritising working with these new fabrications would have a huge impact according to Håkansson, with the emissions from the production of the materials our clothes are made from accounting for 38% of the industry’s total. “We want to see urgent action against fossil fuel-based and animal-derived materials, particularly those from ruminant animals, because of the massive methane footprint associated with things like leather, wool and cashmere,” said Håkansson.

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