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Whether in competitive or grassroots sport, active athletes know the power of change in their discipline. The competition for ideas has this energy Sports Fairly modified As part of the Leipzig Gymnastics Festival 2025, sports clubs were invited to submit their concepts for a social-ecological transformation.
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Jerseys, shorts and training jackets are rarely suspected of being a risk to the environment. But experts warn: Sports textiles contribute significantly to the loss of biodiversity through microplastics made from synthetic fibres, high pesticide and water consumption in cotton cultivation and the clearing of species-rich forests for viscose. We will talk about this in a webinar to which we cordially invite you.
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On 3 September 2025, the Federal Cabinet decided to significantly weaken the German Supply Chain Act: The reporting obligation is suspended and sanctions are only provided for in the case of serious infringements. While this eliminates central instruments of national law, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) also threatens to be diluted at European level. Negotiations are ongoing in Brussels – time to take a look at the state of play.
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“Toxic chemicals from the textile industry threaten not only the environment in Bangladesh, but also the health and livelihoods of millions of people. Through innovative community-based monitoring, those affected in our project are themselves committed to sustainable change in order to make demands on authorities and factories based on collected data. Your top priority: Clean drinking water.’
Daniela Bartsch, Head of Projects Abroad
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Just Transition describes a process of change that focuses on both environmental and social justice. For the textile and clothing industry, this means: Away from exploitative working conditions, towards decent work, fair wages and environmentally friendly production. What this change must look like in order to be feasible is the current topic of our educational work.
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How can sustainable procurement be achieved at the municipal level? In Hamburg, FEMNET, together with Stadtreinigung Hamburg (SRH) and other stakeholders, has further developed strategies for anchoring eco-social criteria in purchasing. A workshop shows: The will is there – and the knowledge is growing.
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Berlin/Karachi. Pakistani textile workers, the Pakistani National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) point to serious evidence of violations of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) by the textile discounter KiK. They therefore lodged a complaint with the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) against KiK.
Every year in June, many fashion brands are particularly colorful. But is there real solidarity behind the rainbow collections or just marketing?
In the so-called Pride Month, many fashion companies advertise with rainbow flags, ‘Love is Love’ slogans and queer designs. What looks like progress at first glance often turns out to be pinkwashing on closer inspection: The targeted marketing of queer symbols without assuming structural responsibility.
The Fair Wear Works project expands its educational offer with a new web seminar series, which is specially designed for actors in the sports and healthcare sector. The series aims to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable textile purchases as an integral part of a comprehensive sustainability strategy.
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This International German Gymnastics Festival in Leipzig continues to think of fairness – far beyond sporting competition. As part of the major sporting event, the Fair Wear Works project sets the idea of fairness in motion with a large-scale campaign – and puts the challenges of the textile industry in the spotlight. The message: Fairness does not end at the edge of the field.
“Because each working day is stressful, I usually cry when I get home from work.” This is how a woman working in Indonesia’s footwear industry described her daily life. On the other side of Asia, a garment worker in Bangalore shared how intense production pressure affects not just her health, but her sleep and appetite.
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Doughnut Economy, Plural Economics, Earth4All – the fashion interACTION Action Meeting on 10 May 2025 was all about alternative economic models that combine social justice and environmental sustainability.
