On October 27 and 28, in Venice, they held "Venice Sustainable Fashion Forum 2022," an international summit dedicated to recalling attention for establishing a more sustainable fashion industry.
The event being held at the Giorgio Cini Foundation (San Giorgio Island) spans two days to understand the present and future of a key sector of the Italian economy, through a wide-ranging program of debates, trend analysis, data, market behavior and best practices.
The main objective of the Forum, attended by institutions, brands, supply chain professionals, industry and business representatives, and NGOs, is to accelerate a sustainable transition path in a sector that suffers from a lack of data and standardized measurement tools.
Among speeches held within the event Adolfo Urso, newly appointed Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, made his first public appearance as a member of the government, through a video speech.
"Made in Italy," he said, "is the brand that internationally increasingly distinguishes excellence and quality. The sustainability of the fashion system is important to understand how it can add other elements of excellence."
"Awareness is needed for respect for the environment and ethical choices, ranging from reducing waste to protecting workers. Let's not forget that about 150 billion garments are produced around the world each year: 20% of this portion goes unsold and less than 1% is recycled, not to mention that the industry contributes 10% of greenhouse gas emissions," he added.
According to surveys carried out by the consulting The European House - Ambrosetti, international consultant and study area specialist, estimates of carbon emissions from the fashion sector show a variance of up to 310% among the different sources surveyed. Similarly, estimates of annual freshwater withdrawals by companies show variations of up to 172% from each other and up to 429% from data on water use for jeans production.
Italy, in particular, ranks first in Europe in terms of the nearly 300 companies affected by this deadline, followed by France with more than 130 companies and Germany with 110, while all other countries in the EU area have an average of about 25 companies affected.
These numbers certify how the sustainable transition is a strategic issue for the Italian fashion industry, which, with a turnover of about €100 billion, more than 500,000 employees and more than 60,000 companies, is at the center of the global debate in the sector and has a duty to show a way forward in reducing the environmental, social and economic impacts generated by this industry.
The "Fit for 55" package, approved by the EU in July 2021, for example, calls for a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2030, an increase to 40% in the share of renewable energy in the energy mix, and a 36% energy efficiency target.
As part of the Green Deal, which includes investments of one trillion Euro over the next ten years for the green transition, the EC adopted a Circular Economy Action Plan in March 2020. The plan focuses on resource-intensive sectors, including the fashion supply chain, and points to the concept of circularity as the basis for achieving the EU goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
The day will conclude with the presentation of recommendations and proposals to Italian and international institutions aimed at fostering a just transition.
The October 28 day titled "The Values of Fashion" organized by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and Sistema Moda Italia (SMI) will develop the most topical issues related to fashion sustainability and the responsibilities of supply chain actors.
Fashion companies and those in the supply chain will meet to trace the state of the art of the sector on sustainability issues, define new challenges and chart the way to implement these goals.
Guiding the second day's program will be eight keywords that correspond to as many thematic areas of value and represent the framework of change on which Italian fashion is focusing: Harmonise, to harmonise new ways of interpreting sustainability; Educate, to create awareness and drive change; Think, to highlight opportunities related to Ecodesign and understand a strategic vision on business processes; Measure, to emphasize the importance of measuring performance and new indicators; Re-Make, dedicated to the circular economy. Finally, Create, to reflect on the craft tradition and the evolution of social values; Make on the essential role of cohesive supply chains; and Make (It Happen), which brings together cultural evolution and new models for change management.
READ ALSO:
