How fossil fuels are the backbone of fast fashion

Today’s fashion industry has become synonymous with overconsumption, creating an ever-worsening waste crisis, widespread pollution and the exploitation of workers in global supply chains. What is less well known is that the insatiable fast fashion business model is enabled by cheap plastic, or synthetic fibres, which are produced from fossil fuels, mostly oil and gas. The Changing Markets Foundation has undertaken ground-breaking research into fashion brands’ addiction to fossil fuels and exposed their lack of plans to transition away from this dirty production. To date the fashion industry’s reliance on fossil fuels has flown mostly under the radar. Fast fashion, working conditions and waste have dominated the headlines. But work by the Changing Markets Foundation has highlighted that this is a crisis that cannot be ignored. Coinciding with COP26, this video aims to show the hypocrisy of fashion brands, who are making top line commitments to climate action, while behind the scenes they double down on using fossil fuels to make clothes and drag their feet on putting in place real science-based climate plans. The campaign calls for prompt, transformative legislative action to slow down the fashion industry and decouple it from fossil fuels.