Changing Markets Foundation "Licence to Greenwash - How Certification Schemes and Voluntary Initiatives are Fulling Fossil Fashion": The study analyzed ten certification labels and industry initiatives used by fashion brands to assess or measure their sustainability, and looked at whether these systems are appropriate to combat the harms of the modern fashion industry. The report examined, among other things, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, The Textile Exchange, WRAP, Cradle2Cradle and the Higg Index the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (sac). The analysis found that all ten certification schemes do not meet sufficiently high standards, that everyone lacks accountability, and that all progress on the circular economy is delaying, including by sticking to overproduction, increasing fast fashion, and industry's reliance on fossil fuels.
European Environmental Bureau "Wellbeing wardrobe: A wellbeing economy for the fashion and textile sector" (PDF): The report states that only a radical rethinking of the economic model can tackle the sustainability problem of the fashion industry. The ones from Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney Lead research advocates shifting fashion from growth to a system where human and environmental health come first. Using the concept of "wellbeing economy" - a generic term for growth alternative economic concepts - the study identified four guiding principles for the development of a post-growth strategy for the fashion sector that works in the interest of the common good: 1. Setting boundaries to reduce the amount of goods produced and consumed in line with planetary boundaries, 2. Promoting fairness to ensure social justice worldwide, 3. Establishing sound and equitable governance to ensure that the transition is inclusive and participatory, 4. Introduce new exchange systems where clothing and textiles are provided in a way that does not depend on overproduction and overconsumption.
transparency: Since its launch in 2019, it has focused on Open Apparel Registry to the collection, standardization and publication of name and address data of clothing companies worldwide. Five data points have been selected for the Open Apparel Registry to be included: Number of employees, parent company, type of product, type of facility, type of processing.
Sustainability reporting in the EU: This EU Parliament has clarified corporate sustainability reporting obligations, but leaves all SMEs out of the mandatory frameworkCriticizes an article by Business and Human Rights Resource Center. In addition, a new article (7a) calls on the European Commission to draw up a list of high-risk sectors. However, the involvement of SMEs in such high-risk sectors (whether listed or not) is subject to an assessment that needs to be submitted before the end of 2026. However, there is a positive assessment of the inclusion of further specification of the disclosure of SDGs and transition plans in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as well as guidance on the development of binding EU standards on climate issues.
EU Supply Chain Act: Three well-known lawyers with ties to international trade union federations and labour law organisations (Jeffrey Vogt, Ruwan Subasinghe, Paapa Danquah) The EU Supply Chain Act is a missed opportunity to improve workers' rights in global supply chains. Although the bill is an important step, it nevertheless contains several serious shortcomings - many of which are significant deviations from Pillar II of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) - of companies' responsibility to respect human rights. The authors go into all the articles of the draft and compare them with the UNGPs.
EU Textile Strategy: On Wednesday, he published European Commission the "EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles". The New strategy to make textiles more durable, repairable, reusable and recyclableto tackle fast fashion, textile waste and the destruction of unsold textiles and to ensure that their production fully respects social rights. Specific measures include ecodesign requirements for textiles, clearer information, a digital product passport and a mandatory EU extended producer responsibility scheme. To tackle fast fashion, the strategy calls on companies to reduce the number of annual collections, take action to minimize their carbon and environmental footprint. Member States are encouraged to adopt favourable tax measures for the reuse and repair sector. Civil society (Clean Clothes Campaign, Fair Trade Advocacy Office, Fashion Revolution, Environmental Coalition on Standards, European Environmental Bureau, IndustriAll European Trade Union, Re-use and Recycling European Union Social Enterprises, Solidaridad, Traidcraft Exchange) Criticises that the strategy contains green ambitions, but forgets the workers (PDF).
Myanmar: The Board of Directors of the ILO decided to set up a commission of inquiry into non-compliance with international labour standards in Myanmar following the military coup in February 2021. The Commission of Inquiry will investigate non-compliance with the Convention on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, 1948 (No. 87) and the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29). Fortify rights and this Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights the Yale Law School published the study "Nowhere is Safe - The Myanmar Junta's Crimes Against Humanity Following the Coup d'État" (PDF) documenting the military's human rights violations (including murder, detention, torture). The 193-page report identifies 61 perpetrators and uncovers 1,040 military sites. Life for the population is becoming increasingly difficult due to rising food prices and regular shortages of electricity and water. In mid-March, the junta carried out planned power cuts to relieve pressure from the country's overloaded power grid (the junta blamed increased gas prices and attacks on infrastructure by paramilitary groups of People's Defense Forces fighting the junta). A villager in the state of Mon says that in the region, electricity is out every day and people are increasingly forced to fetch water from wells. Daw Myo Myo Aye, President of the Confederation of Trade Unions United Confederation of Trade UnionsSome clothing factories were completely shut down in March due to power outages.
Ukraine: According to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPsCompanies in armed conflict should apply enhanced human rights due diligence to identify, prevent and mitigate increased risks and adopt a conflict-sensitive approach. For this reason has this Business and Human Rights Resource Center 208 companies operating or investing in Ukraine and/or Russia asked to answer human rights due diligence questions. So far, 65 companies (31%), only 19 companies answered all or part of their human rights due diligence questions in response to the Russian invasion. 33 companies submitted general declarations. 13 companies either asked for an extension or stated that they were working on questionnaire replies. Companies that have already responded include: Adidas, H&M and NikeThey replied only with general explanations. The new labour rights deregulation law proposed by the Ukrainian government, which it sees as part of a joint effort to counter the Russian invasion, has brought the government into conflict with the country's trade unions.. There is a fear that the new law, which has already been approved by Parliament, will still be passed by the President. Volodymyr Zelensky must be signed, could continue to exist after the end of the war and could lead to further exploitative working conditions in Ukraine. The new law significantly limits workers' rights (in terms of working hours, working conditions, dismissal and compensation after dismissal) and strengthens employers' power over their employees.
Bangladesh: In the southern Dhaka were Three men arrested for raping a textile worker. One of the men worked with the textile worker in a factory until he was fired for sexually harassing the textile worker at work. Many old and new clothing factories are seeking membership in the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) to. The RSC continues the local implementation of ACCORD in Bangladesh. At 39 garment factories, which are now to be reviewed by the RSC, safety standards have so far not been reviewed by any neutral platform, which is a criterion for membership in the RSC. RSC is. Faruque Hassan, President of the BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association), advocates the inclusion of the factories "so that their safety standards can be improved under the leadership of the RSC". China Rahman, a member of the board of directors representing the trade unions in the RSC He said the factories wanted him. RSC Particularly for their own benefit. The inclusion could allow factories to charge higher prices and become more attractive to brands and get more orders. Amirul Haque Amin, Trade Union Co-Chair of the RSC, calls for the government to take more initiatives to improve the health of workers in the clothing industry. Trade unions, meanwhile, criticize the fact that RSC Work too slowly Many of the factories that ACCORD have not yet implemented the recommended remedial measures.
