High-end fashion houses and sportswear giants including H&M, Nike, and Hermès are under scrutiny following allegations of climate greenwashing, despite making public pledges to reduce carbon emissions across Asia—a region responsible for over 50% of global garment production.
These claims were revealed in a report titled The Missing Thread by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC). The investigation found that 65 fashion brands were failing to meet climate responsibility standards, with 44 of them having made public commitments to sustainability. Notably, none of the brands fully embraced the “Just Transition” policy introduced at COP27 in Egypt in 2022, which advocates for an inclusive shift to a low-carbon economy that protects and supports workers.
The report also highlighted alarming gaps in worker protections. Only four companies provided any form of guidance on dealing with heat-related stress, and just two—Inditex and Kering—took steps to promote workers’ welfare. Natalie Swan, BHRRC’s Labour Rights Programme Manager, criticized the fashion industry’s superficial climate initiatives, calling them “a dangerous shortcut.” She emphasized that brands need to actively collaborate with trade unions and workers who are doubly vulnerable—both to the impacts of climate change and to neglect by their employers.
As the fashion sector edges toward contributing over a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions, Swan urged companies to abandon performative green messaging. She called for urgent, authentic actions that build a more transparent, sustainable, and equitable industry—one that protects both the planet and the people powering its production.
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