Ahead of COP29, the Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) has published its annual GFA Monitor for the third time, highlighting advancements and ongoing challenges in terms of progress on how the fashion industry can reach net positivity. The report is produced in partnership with GFA’s impact partners, the Apparel Impact Institute, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Fair Labor Association, Social & Labor Convergence Program and the Textile Exchange.

As in the previous year, progress was tracked across five sustainability priorities: Respectful and Secure Work Environments, Better Wage Systems, Resource Stewardship, Smart Material Choices and Circular Systems.

“The GFA Monitor 2024 reinforces COP29’s core themes: enhancing ambition and enabling tangible action. As climate threats, geopolitical challenges, and scepticism towards sustainability intensifies, the industry must rethink its strategies to adapt swiftly while nurturing long-term resilience. I urge leaders to utilise the practical steps, tools, programmes, and proven best practices outlined in this report and its previous edition to foster a sustainable, equitable and transparent fashion ecosystem,” comments GFA CEO Federica Marchionni in a press release.

Respectful and Secure Work Environments

While some significant advancements were made in this area, for example in terms of flexible employment, the report highlights that “continued efforts are needed to align industry standards and strengthen buyer-supplier partnerships”.

Although companies are increasingly recognising the benefits of inclusive practices, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts must address persisting structural inequalities, often affecting women and marginalised groups disproportionately. In terms of informal employment arrangements such as working from home and subcontracting, more needs to be done to avoid exploitation and substandard occupational protection. Other action areas are responsible purchasing practices, terms of employment and social protection.

Better Wage Systems

Some progress has been made in addressing wage issues, with initiatives supporting wage transparency, responsible purchasing practices and collective bargaining. Fourteen percent more survey respondents claim to have set targets for fair compensation and living wages through collective bargaining by 2035.

However, “system solutions are insufficient and wage gaps persist, especially in key manufacturing regions where inflation outpaces wage growth and gender pay disparities,” finds the report. Wage increases remain minimal, with only a reported 1 percent increase in the gap between minimum and living wages since 2023. While legislative efforts such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Directive aim to improve wage transparency and equity, other action areas like responsible purchasing practices, terms of employment and social protection remain.

“Working together, we can and will end poverty-level wages for garment workers. Establishing industry targets for 2035 is a step forward; now we must prioritise measuring progress toward living wages,” says Tiffany Rogers, director of Innovation and development, manufacturing of the Fair Labor Association.

Credits: Elio Santos/Unsplash

Resource Stewardship

While environmental protection and climate change measures are on the agendas of many companies, greenhouse gas emissions, resource use and industry growth continue to rise, thus putting a strain on the system.

“Biodiversity conservation, water stewardship and pollution control require holistic strategies as the repercussions of climate change increasingly disrupt manufacturing regions,” states the report and points to regulations such as the EU Renewable Energy Directive and policies on chemical use as examples to address decarbonisation and environmental impacts. “Indigenous communities need to be included more closely in decision-making around biodiversity conservation” is another takeaway.

Other action areas are land use, water stewardship and fibre fragmentation.

Smart Material Choices

While companies are increasingly setting goals to use more sustainable materials and aligning with the United Nations’ 2030 targets, virgin synthetic fibre production is at an all-time high while the share of recycled fibres has decreased - a fact highlighted in the Materials Market Report, published by the Textile Exchange just a few weeks ago. The reports also found that in 2023, nearly 30 percent of all cotton produced was done so under sustainability programs.

“Regulatory initiatives such as the EU’s Green Deal push for more sustainable textile materials, but significant innovation is required to reduce raw material consumption and recapture value from existing resources,” advises the GFA Monitor. Action areas are synthetics, plant fibres, manmade cellulosic fibres and animal-derived fibres.

Circular Systems

In this area as well, companies are increasingly setting targets and investing in solutions and implementing programmes around circularity, particularly in textile recycling and circular business models. However, scale has often not yet been reached.

“Despite regulatory initiatives promoting circular design and waste reduction, the gap in circularity has widened since 2018. To advance circularity in the fashion industry it is essential to address overproduction, improve recycling infrastructure and ensure an equitable transition for workers,” sums up the report. As action areas, fashion companies need to tackle circular design, circular business models, textile-to-textile recycling and a just transition.

“To create a thriving fashion industry we need to fundamentally transform the way we design, make, and ultimately enjoy our clothes. In order to truly challenge conventional linear models at scale – and for a circular economy for fashion to become the norm – we must accelerate efforts that not only redesign the products of the future, but also the services and business models that deliver them and keep them in use,” says Jules Lennon, fashion lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

“Survey results suggest that target setting across all five resource stewardship indicators has increased, with the greatest rise (59 percent) focused on water stewardship by 2040. However, fewer respondents are actively working on these targets or measuring progress,” is the conclusion.

The complete report can be downloaded from the GFA website.