The Fashion Industry and it’s impact on Biodiversity

 

We are calling on the fashion industry. It’s time to weave biodiversity into the fabric of your business practices and protect our planets diverse ecosystems.

We at TheRockGroup attach great importance to making nature part of doing business. Why is
that? The planet is not there just for mankind but also for other living creatures and things. Also,
humanity including our economic and social activities are directly dependent on diversity in life on
earth.

Take for example the multi-billion-dollar garment and textiles industry which is important for the
global economy and employment yet is criticized a lot because of the impacts it makes on people
and planet. Examples include inhumane labour conditions, exhaustive water use and the
degradation of natural ecosystems.

However, at the same time, the garment and textiles industry is also really dependent on social
and natural capital. Think about cotton, wool, leather and dyes that are necessary to produce
garments. Some of these are plant-derived and depend on pollination for their growth. Others
require animal and algal components.

Hence, safeguarding the natural systems that underpin the production of these materials is crucial
to securing supply chains and fortifying the economic resilience of the fashion industry. Therefore, it is key for companies to ensure the integration of biodiversity in their overall sustainability
strategy.

But how? Are you overwhelmed by the complexity and enormity of the challenge? Waiting for the
endless debates about measuring to end?

Business for nature, World Economic Forum and WBCSD – World Business Council for
Sustainable Development developed useful guidance laying out the 5 key changes that are needed in every stage of the garment and textiles sector’s value chain for a transition toward circular and
regenerative business models:

1. Avoiding and reducing the use of high-impact or uncertified materials

2. Avoiding and reducing the use of hazardous chemicals

3. Avoiding and reducing freshwater use through sustainable water management

4. Restoring degraded land and moving towards regenerative agricultural practices

5. Transforming business models and embracing circularity

✅ We endorse these recommendations and are welcoming any garment and textiles company that would like to progress on their Nature and Biodiversity impact.

Let us know if you’d like to discover your impact and dependency on biodiversity – and which practical steps you can take as a business to make biodiversity an integral part of your overall sustainability program. Contact us at connec@therockgroup.biz

Want to read more about the fashion sector? Read about our African Fashion Report here

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