Background

According to the figures reported by the United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, the carbon emission of the fashion industry accounts for about 8% of the total global emissions[1], making it the third greatest carbon emitter[2] and the second largest water polluter in the world[3]. Specifically, the practices in the fashion value chain such as the production of leather, silk, wool and polyester fibre and textile dyeing are especially known to be highly detrimental to the environment[4]. 

In response to this urgent issue, numerous international actions have unfolded. Stakeholders of the fashion industry created the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action with the vision for the sector to achieve net-zero by 2050 at COP 24 in Katowice, Poland in December of 2018. Furthermore, the United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion with 10 United Nations agencies was launched at the 4th United Nations Environment Assembly in 2019 for the coordinated sustainable actions in the fashion sector. By May 2022, more than 130 companies including multinational fashion conglomerates has signed the charter. 

Aside from international collective movements, nations with major consumer markets are in the process of enacting legislation for sustainable fashion: New York State of the United States, one of the biggest market in the fashion industry, introduced the Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act this year[5]. Furthermore, the European Commission proposed an EU strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles for regulating the entire textile value chain a few month ago[6]. If these legislations are eventually enacted as planned, impacts on the global value chain of the fashion industry will be immense. And only sustainable fashion companies and suppliers could survive in this new era of the fashion market. 

A great portion of the expected transition impact would likely be in the Asia-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacifc is the so-called “clothing factory for the world,” providing about 60 percent of global exports of garments, textiles and footwear[7]. This means that thousands of impacted suppliers will be faced with this abrupt but consequential change. The Asia-Pacific fashion industry, therefore, may have to phase out environmentally and socially harmful traditions of production and adopt sustainable practices that are welcomed by the market and regulators in order to sustain. 

Considering the importance of raising awareness and developing the capacity for effective and integrated actions to undertake successful green transition of the Asia-Pacific fashion industry, UNITAR CIFAL Jeju organizes a three-day workshop to introduce the recent trends of sustainable fashion and to prepare for the turbulent future together. The participants will be able to have a closer look at the international trends of sustainable fashion, the subsequent and possible impacts on the Asia-Pacific’s fashion industry and best practices that leading actors from both public and private sectors are taking. This in-depth learning opportunity to gain insight into the green transition of fashion industry may help one design and implement necessary and timely action to shape the greener future of the fashion sector in the Asia Pacific region.    

[1]United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, Synthesis Report on United Nations System-wide Initiatives related to Fashion, 2021

[2]World Economic Forum, Net-Zero Challenges: The supply chain opportunity, January 2021

[3]United Nations Environment Programme, Putting the breaks on the fast fashion, November 2018

[4]International Labour Organization, Taking climate action-Measuring carbon emissions in the garment sector in Asia, February 2022

[5]The New York Times, New York Could Make History With a Fashion Sustainability Act, January 2022

[6]European Commission,EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, March 2022

[7]International Labour Organization, Asia’s Garment Export Industry, September 2017 (figures from 2014)

Workshop Objectives

This capacity building training workshop will: 

■  Raise awareness of the environmental impacts of the current practices in the fashion industry’s value chain 

■ Overview the global trends and dynamics of collective actions from both the private and public sector to introduce sustainability in the fashion industry 

■  Take stock of the expected trickle-down effects from the actions above in the Asia and the Pacific region’s fashion industry 

■  Promote information sharing and exchange of best practices and innovative cases respectively from the public and private sectors to facilitate the green transition 

■  Assist the participants in discovering effective strategies and following action plans that may play a pivotal role in creating an encouraging environment to foster a sustainable fashion industry and to preemtively direct fashion businesses to become more sustainable and competitive. 

Learning Objectives

 By the end of the training, participants will be able to:  

■  Fully understand the environmental impacts caused by the current practices of the contemporary fashion industry; the global and Asia-Pacific trends and dynamics supporting the green transition of the industry environmental impacts caused by the current practices of the contemporary fashion industry; the global and Asia-Pacific trends and dynamics supporting the green transition of the industry 

■ Grasp the chellenges and possible breakthroughs of the green transition of the Asia Pacific fashion industry after exchanging best practices and business cases 

■ Discover possible breakthroughs of the governments/companies/organizatons of the Asia Pacific fashion industry in advance to respond to the trends of the green transition or to lead the trend innovatively; and possible breakthroughs of the governments/companies/organizatons of the Asia Pacific fashion industry in advance to respond to the trends of the green transition or to lead the trend innovatively; and 

■  Build professional networks and exchange information and knowledge among the participants exchange information and knowledge among the participants  

Target Audience

This training is open to government officials, relevant personnels from private sectors, NGOs, Civil Societies and institutions who directly deal with the fashion industry or consumer goods and who are keen to facilitate SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 13 (Climate Action)  in the Asia Pacific region. 

Methodology

This virtual training will be comprised of: 

■ Lectures and presentations by experts 

■ Discussion by group

■ Interactive quiz

■ Individual case assignments and presentation (Selected Cases)

Certificate

■  A Certificate of Completion will be issued by UNITAR, UNITAR CIFAL Jeju. 

■  Selected participants are required to complete the following to be eligible for the certificate: 

-     Submit assignments on timee.g. a one page case study in WORD or PPT format 

-     Actively participatein the training program

-     Attend all Six sessions and have your video always on

Application and Deadline

Interested participants are required to complete the registration form by 16 September 2022 at  https://bit.ly/3QC3cQu 

Organizers

UNITAR CIFAL Jeju / JITC

Websites

UNITAR CIFAL Jeju / JITC event page 

Program Details (Tentative)

*The program above is subject to change.

Contacts

Hyunju Grace Lee, Program Officer, UNITAR CIFAL Jeju/JITC, hjlee.jitc@gmail.com