Can marketing ever hope to help fashion’s sustainability problem?

Still, there’s a problem there that does need solving, and it’s big. In a much-cited 2018 report, the UN quoted estimates that the fashion industry contributes between 2 and 8% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. A 2020 McKinsey report put the number at 2.1 billion tonnes of emissions every year – roughly equivalent to the emissions of France, Germany and the UK combined. Those numbers sound incredible until you hear that we produce around 100bn garments every year.

(And contribution to the climate crisis isn’t the only way in which the fashion biz’s unsustainability rears its head, with rife and well-documented unethical labor practices from modern slavery to sweatshops.)

There are glimmers of hope: a burgeoning resale market; high-profile success stories from brands that seem genuinely committed to change; and optimism from some quarters, naturally, that AI just might save the day.

But how can concerned marketers help steer the ship? What would an industry less focused on overconsumption look like? And are the collective actions, policies, and industry steps that will help us get there? Those are the questions we asked three marketers from The Drum Network in the latest episode of The Drum Network podcast – Dept’s Bel Moretti, Disrupt’s Hannah Turner, and Pattrns’ Jack McLaren.

For more earworms, check out The Drum’s podcast hub.