Lot’s Wife • Edition Four56Art by Tess Hoenig
Lot’s Wife • Edition FourFashion’s Role In Achieving theSustainable Development GoalsWords by Hamah HosenWhen one first sees the word ‘Fashion’ within an international context, wetypically associate it with big brands, luxury pieces, fashion weeks, and modelson catwalks. However, fashion’s international presence goes beyond this —from environmental impacts to mistreatment of workers in the global supplychains. As such, the industry has a critical role to play to help achieve theUnited Nations (UN)’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The SDGs are a collection of global goals adopted by all UN Member Statesas “the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future”. The goalsaddress challenges such as those related to poverty, inequality, climate change,environmental degradation, peace, and justice. The fashion industry arguablyimpacts the SDG goals of no poverty; gender equality; decent work andeconomic growth; sustainable development and consumption climate action;and partnership goals. The emergence of these goals has led to some companiesin the fashion industry to have a more sustainable and ethical focus. However,we mustn’t forget that this is a $2.4 trillion-dollar industry that is only expectedto grow at an annual rate of 1.9% over the next five years. Without adequateconsideration for changes to its production processes and consumptionpatterns, the social and environmental impacts of the industry hinder effortsin achieving the SDGs.Take the example of a classic outfit: jeans and a nice top. We rarely thinkabout who made these clothes, or take a close look at the label. More oftenthan not, we think about the price and its ‘fashionable’ aesthetics. However,if we follow the cycle of production of fast fashion, it usually starts with unfairworking conditions. One key issue that is present in the industry is the wagesor salaries afforded to individuals working at production sites. According toOxfam, garment workers can earn as little as 2% of the price of clothing soldin Australia. So, although the cute outfit may seem like an incredible deal toour eyes and wallets, it’s often a different story for those on the other end of thecycle. Brands often assure that workers who make their clothing are paid theminimum legal wage, yet this may be much lower than a living wage.The industry employs approximately 60 million people worldwide, withwomen making up about 80% of the supply chain. As such, SDG1: no povertyand SDG5: Gender Equality both present the industry with an opportunity toimprove the supply chain.The behind-the-scenes element of this casual and trendy outfit choice extendsbeyond economics. Other issues present within the industry refer to theunacceptable health and safety conditions and are related to SDG 3 (GoodHealth and Wellbeing) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).Although the International Labor Organization (ILO) has made the principleof an 8-hour day, 48-hour week as maximum normal hours a norm, this conceptis often not applied or enforced in “production countries”. On top of this,employees usually work in unacceptable conditions, which again hinders theachievement of the SDGs. According to Sustain Your Style, “Employees usuallywork with no ventilation, breathing in toxic substances, inhaling fibre dust orblasted sand in unsafe buildings. Accidents, fires, injuries, and disease are veryfrequent occurrences on textile production sites.” These issues were brought tothe world’s attention in the collapse of the Rana Plaza, which led to the deathsof 1134 garment workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh.However, the negative impact that the industry is producing amounts to morethan issues surrounding workers. The industry presents itself as one of theworst contributors to negative environmental impacts. According to the UNEnvironment Programme (UNEP), “the fashion industry produces 20 per centof global wastewater and 10 per cent of global carbon emissions – more thanall international flights and maritime shipping”. It is hindering SDG13’s calls totake urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.Take those same pair of jeans and top we discussed earlier. They in fact, alsorelate to SDG6 (Clean water and sanitation), and SDG14 (Life below water).That one pair of jeans takes 7570 litres of water to make. And that one shirtrequires 2700 litres – the amount a person drinks in 2.5 years. But the impactswithin the cycle go beyond this. Dying textiles to a particular colour alsocontributes to water pollution. Washing the outfit can also result in microfibersand microplastics being released into our oceans. And just when you think thecycle is finally over, your cute dinner outfit will eventually contribute to the$500 billions of value wasted yearly as a result of clothing underutilisation andlack of recycling. According to UNEP, every second, the “equivalent of onegarbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned”. This highlights a need to takeseriously SDG12 (Responsible Consumption & Production). This is just thesimplified story and life-cycle of how one outfit produced within the fashionindustry can hinder progress towards achieving the SDGs. So just imagine theimpacts our whole closets hold.The aim of this article and the information presented isn’t meant to make youas readers feel guilty or diminish the current efforts that exist. It is instead hereto bring awareness of how individual actions can either help or hinder theindustry’s role in the SDGs. As much as we can blame companies for the lackof progress, we must remember that action in this sector requires it from twoentry points: top-down through governments and corporations, and bottomup– as we as consumers can make informed choices and vote with our walletsfor a sustainable future. It’s precisely what SDG12 (Responsible Consumption& Production) asks us to do. A change in the production and consumptionpatterns in both avenues will undoubtedly have a domino effect and wouldbenefit all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).This piece was originally published in PIVOT, the official studentpublication of the Monash International Affairs Society.57