As the fashion industry faces mounting pressure to adopt sustainable practices, the 2024 GFA Monitor Update from the Global Fashion Agenda provides a comprehensive look at progress across critical sustainability areas. This report is a pulse check and a call to action for an industry grappling with global climate change, resource depletion, and social inequalities. But the question remains: can these efforts lead to a net positive impact, or are they just stepping stones in a much longer journey?
The fashion industry employs an estimated 300 million people worldwide, many working under precarious conditions. This year’s report highlights the strides in setting targets for respectful and secure work environments, particularly through improvements in responsible purchasing practices (RPP) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). For instance, RPP saw a notable increase, reflecting growing efforts to establish fairer brand-supplier relationships and reduce exploitative labor practices.
However, deeper structural issues remain. DEI gains are largely surface-level, with limited representation in senior roles or decision-making positions, particularly among women and marginalized communities in supply chains. Informal employment, such as homeworking, is a double-edged sword, providing flexibility yet often lacking essential protections and benefits. The report underscores the need for formalized work arrangements and social protections, but it is uncertain whether companies will extend these practices throughout their entire value chains.
While efforts to bridge wage gaps have gained momentum, the results indicate uneven progress. Notable steps include increased legislative pressure from the EU and U.S., rolling out policies to improve wage transparency and enforceable labor rights. For example, the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive is expected to boost wage transparency and accountability.
Yet, despite these efforts, minimum wage growth still trails behind inflation in key regions like Bangladesh and Turkey, leaving many workers unable to meet basic living expenses. Gender pay disparities are also significant, with men often out-earning women in similar roles. While brands are setting ambitious targets—some aiming to achieve living wages by 2035—the pace of change remains slow, raising concerns about whether these commitments can uplift workers or satisfy compliance metrics.
Resource stewardship within the fashion industry encompasses reducing dependence on virgin resources and addressing emissions growth. This year’s data indicates a promising rise in target-setting, especially around water stewardship and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, progress in chemical management and fiber fragmentation is still lagging, with the apparel sector contributing approximately 1.8% to 4% of global emissions—an alarming figure given the industry’s push for sustainability.
The report notes increased adherence to basic GHG reporting and nature protection strategies, including regenerative land use practices. However, the overall impact of these practices is tempered by the industry’s persistent reliance on fossil fuels, particularly coal, for manufacturing. Without a more aggressive pivot to renewable energy and regenerative sourcing, the fashion industry may struggle to achieve its net-zero targets by 2050.
The GFA Monitor Update points to significant progress in setting material-related goals aligned with the UN Fashion Charter for Climate Action, with many brands committing to preferred, low-climate-impact materials. Yet the report also highlights the challenges inherent in reducing reliance on virgin synthetic fibers. While textile-to-textile recycling is gaining traction, it remains limited in scale, with less than 1% of global fibers currently derived from recycled textiles.
Similarly, circularity initiatives, although increasingly prioritized, face scalability challenges. The EU’s initiatives around circular textiles and waste reduction, such as the Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products, are promising but far from universally adopted. To close the loop meaningfully, the industry must address overproduction and invest in scalable waste management infrastructure. Without these efforts, the gap between ambition and impact will likely widen.
The 2024 Update reveals an industry at a crossroads. On one hand, brands set ambitious targets, signaling a commitment to move beyond “business as usual.” On the other hand, the challenges highlighted—particularly around wage fairness, diversity, and emissions—suggest that much of this progress is still in its infancy, or worse, falling short of achieving tangible change.
The fashion industry’s sustainability goals currently offer a blueprint for a more responsible, resilient future, but whether they will serve as a genuine catalyst for transformation is yet to be seen. Without systemic changes aligning economic incentives with social and environmental impacts, the risk is that these targets may become more about compliance than creating a regenerative and equitable industry.
As 2030 approaches, the window for impactful action narrows. Achieving a net positive impact requires the industry to set targets and follow through on them with accountability, transparency, and the willingness to address uncomfortable truths about profitability, resource dependence, and social responsibility. Whether the industry can bridge this gap will determine if it can transition from being a source of harm to a force for good, supporting not just the planet but the people it relies upon.
