How important is the role of the conscious consumer in reforming the fashion industry’s awareness of biodiversity? BACKGROUND
Stella McCartney 2020
RATIONALE
The loss of biodiversity is a dire issue that not only affects the planet but also society with links to extreme events such as a global pandemic - “31% of all emerging diseases have originated through land use change” (Extinction: The Facts, 2020). Fashion businesses are starting to wake up to this issue; Kering published their first biodiversity dedicated strategy in July 2020. As MarieClaire Daveu (2020), Chief Sustainability Officer at Kering explains, “Thriving biodiversity is intrinsically linked to the longterm viability of our industry, and society more broadly.” Nevertheless, there aren’t many companies with strategies specific to combating biodiversity loss - this is likely because while the industry may be highly focused on sustainability, biodiversity is less documented with its impacts more difficult to measure (Granskog et al. 2020). This report will aim to investigate UK consumers awareness of the issue and their impact on enforcing the industry to protect biodiversity.
Biodiversity loss is not often talked about in regard to fashion but has come to the forefront in 2020. McKinsey & Company named “Biodiversity: The next frontier in sustainable fashion” (Granskog et al., 2020). While synthetic fibres cause microfibre pollution during washing at end use, “two-thirds of the harmful climate impact over the lifetime of a garment comes at the raw materials stage” (Plank, 2020). The most direct links to biodiversity loss at the raw material stage are the use of pesticides when growing cotton, deforestation for cattle grazing and their feed grain as well as deforestation for the production of wood based fibres. Textile dying and leather tanning processes also pollute the air, ground and surrounding freshwater (Granskog et al., 2020).
Common Objective 2020
OBJECTIVES
1. Define what biodiversity is and why it matters. 2. Analyse the affects production of cotton, wood based fibres and leather has on biodiversity. 3. Explore what measures companies already have in place to combat biodiversity loss. 4. Study UK consumer groups, their awareness of biodiversity loss and subsequent trends in consumer behaviour.
INITIAL RESEARCH
Common Objective 2020
Common Objective 2020
INITIAL METHODOLOGY
Secondary The following books and reports (non-exhaustive list) will begin to inform and set a context of the UK’s fashion market’s role in, and awareness of biodiversity loss. - WWF Living Planet Report 2020 - To Die for: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World? By Lucy Siegle - Biodiversity & fashion: The Biodiversity Consultancy Insight 2020 - British Fashion Council: Fashion & Environment, an Overview of Fashion’s Environmental Impact & Opportunities for Action - Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change By Kate Fletcher, Lynda Grose - Sustainability in Fashion and Textiles: Values, Design, Production and Consumption By Miguel Angel Gardetti, Ana Laura Torres Primary This study will be supported by case studies into current company strategies and virtual focus groups analysing consumer behaviour in the UK market.
REFERENCES
Common Objective 2020
Stella McCartney 2020
“Around 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction” (UN, 2019) The fashion industry is forecast to use an extra 115 million hectares of land, forest and grassland by 2030, an increase of 35% (EderHansen et al., 2017). “Kering commits to a net positive impact on biodiversity by 2025” (Kering, 2020). 75% of consumers believe there should be law to enforce fashion brands to protect the environment at all stages of production. (Ditty, 2018)
Common Objective 2020
Common Objective. (2020). Biodiversity Facts [images]. Available from https://www.commonobjective.co/article/the-issues-biodiversity [Accessed 21 September 2020]. Ditty, S. (2018). Consumer Survey Report (Results-Only). Derbyshire: Fashion Revolution. Available from https://www.fashionrevolution.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/201118_ ResultsOnly_FashRev_ConsumerSurvey_2018.pdf [Accessed 13 October 2020]. Eder-Hansen, J. et al. (2017). Pulse of the Fashion Industry 2017: The Case for Change is Indisputable, Land Use. Copenhagen & Boston: Global Fashion Agenda & The Boston Consulting Group. Available from: https://wordpress.globalfashionagenda.com/publications-and-policy/pulse-of-the-industry/ [Accessed 24 September 2020]. Extinction: The Facts (2020). Extinction: The Facts, [television programme]. BBC One, 13 September 2020, 20:00. Available from https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000mn4n [Accessed 30 September 2020]. Granskog, A. et al. (2020). Biodiversity: The next frontier in sustainable fashion. McKinsey & Company, 23 July. Available from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/ biodiversity-the-next-frontier-in-sustainable-fashion# [Accessed 29 September]. Kering. (2020). Kering publishes Biodiversity Strategy and sets biodiversity targets. Kering, 1 July. Available from: https://www.kering.com/en/news/kering-publishes-biodiversity-strategyand-sets-biodiversity-targets [Accessed 24 September 2020]. Plank, M. (2020). The Issues: Biodiversity. Common Objective, 30 April. Available from https://www.commonobjective.co/article/the-issues-biodiversity [Accessed 21 September 2020]. Stella McCartney. (2020). Resort 2020 Collection [images]. Available from https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/resort-2020/stella-mccartney [Accessed 6 October 2020]. UN. (2019). UN Report: Nature’s Dangerous Decline ‘Unprecedented’; Species Extinction Rates ‘Accelerating’. UN, 6 May. Available from: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ blog/2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report/ [Accessed 12 October 2020].
Major Project Proposal