The Covid-19 emergency, with the associated downturn for the global market, does not impact the central theme which sustainability occupies on company policy. A recent survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit for U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol supports this. It illustrates how, for top managers in the major manufacturing and sales industries of the fashion and textile sector (including: Adidas, H&M and Puma), the “green” objective is a priority. While 70% of those interviewed believe that “fast accessible fashion is sustainable and possible” and view the “crisis as an opportunity to double up their efforts”, 73% think that global standards and certifications are a good way of measuring and highlighting the level of a brand’s sustainability to consumers”.
60% think that the focus on sustainability is one of two strategic goals for their business, preceded only by improvement in customer satisfaction (first place with 64%). To reach the “green goal”, the people interviewed for the study stated that they had already introduced “sustainability measures throughout the production supply chain”. These range from the sustainable production of raw materials (65%) to the adoption of a circular economy (51%) and best practices to reduce greenhouse gases (51% each), as well as the implementation of new technology, such as 3D printing and blockchain (41%). To create a future of value, the study emphasised that fashion, retail trade and the textile industry cannot brng about the change individually, but must work together. The next step towards obtaining a better understanding of the perception of the sector will be to have access to a greater amount of reliable data, focused on issues, such as supplier sustainability practices, workers’ rights, health and safety at work in the supply chain.
