On The Fashion Radar: COP27

The UN’s Conference of the Parties, also known as COP, kicked off its 27th annual climate change conference on November 6th in Sharm El-Sheikh, a resort town on Egypt’s eastern coast, and will continue through November 18th.

Practical Action shared that this year's conference location has powerful weight to the future of climate change. After last years COP26 taking place in Glasgow and the criticism of the conversation being too focused on the developed countries, we are appreciative to see that African countries have the opportunity to be brought to light as those affected by climate change.

Amongst the chaos and uncertainty of climate change and the environmental impact of the fashion industry, world leaders, fashion designers, global brands, suppliers, media, and sustainable fashion activists come together every year to discuss and strategize a stronger plan for the future of sustainability.

The stakes are high this year, especially since the environmental impacts are starting to become what we were seeing pre-pandemic, and as The Natural Resources Defense Council states, “The past seven years have been the warmest on record.”

Highlighted in a recent Forbes article, here are some of the positive outcomes thus far from the conference:
● Global Fashion Agenda announced the Fashion Industry Target Consultation in
partnership with the UN Environment Programme. Federica Marchionni, CEO of Global Fashion Agenda, stated that they wanted to create a definite plan that ensured fashion was a priority in the agenda to achieve net zero.
● CEO and Co-Founder of Green Fashion, Hadeer Shalaby, is in attendance to bring awareness to her Egyptian upcycled, sustainably, and locally produced garments. She said she felt even more passionate about COP27 because it takes place in Egypt, where she feels most connected to making a positive difference.
● This year’s main theme of the conference was green-washing and having sustainable materials brought to the forefront of the conversation.
● AMSilk, a German biomaterial company, showcased its work at the convention and will participate in one of the panel discussions. AMSilk said one of the crucial conversations needing to be had around sustainability is the “potential for smart biotech materials to substitute current fossil-based materials and create new and innovative applications for the fashion industry.”

Keep this conference on your fashion radar through its final week. Having the opportunity to come together in person after the last couple of years of isolation to work towards the common goal of making our environment cleaner and safer is fantastic.

It’s great to see the fashion industry step up and become a leading force in climate change activism, but if the industry is going to talk, they need to walk the walk. This means solving greenwashing issues and mainstreaming tech-based sustainable resources to retailers and designers.

As consumers, we should be ready to hold these companies, retailers, and governments accountable to implement the necessary actions for our environment. We should also do our part in lowering consumption and incorporating conscious environmental behaviors in every aspect of our lives.

-As always, elevate your wardrobe with respected fashion and embrace the shift in style