L'utopia di una moda a 0 emissioni The world's first carbon-neutral shoe and other myths to dispel
While European countries are struggling to reach a common agreement on sustainability initiatives and the US government weather service called 3 July the "hottest day in history", protecting the planet has become a topic of daily debate. In the fashion industry in particular, 'carbon footprint' is perhaps the most commonly used phrase, both by the genuinely concerned who are trying to introduce long-term sustainable solutions and by brands who have turned greenwashing into a new tried-and-tested marketing strategy. But what is the carbon footprint really? Fashion's carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases released by all fashion-related activities, including the design, production, shipping, purchase, use, cleaning and eventual disposal of clothing. Allbirds, a San Francisco-based brand known for its avant-garde design for runners, has recently claimed this as its own, stating that it has developed the world's first carbon neutral shoe, the Mo.onshot Trainer, opening up a debate about the real possibility of producing zero- emission products from scratch.
A problem closely related to global warming, more urgent than ever, because at 17.01 °C, the global average temperature has exceeded 17 °C for the first time since monitoring began in 1976. According to the BoF «it is already "more likely than not" that temperatures will exceed pre-industrial levels by 1.5 °C, the globally agreed limit beyond which it will be difficult to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.» Companies in the sector are already feeling the impact of extreme weather on commodity supply chains and retail sales. However, to meet the 1.5°C limit, emissions will have to fall - to at least 0.489 gigatonnes - rather than rise by 2030. Sadowski was optimistic, however: «At least the companies setting the targets have realised that it is no longer enough to just make a commitment. This has to be followed by real investment, real resources in-house».
What is certain is that brands need to set realistic rather than sensational targets, as in the case of Gucci, which agreed to achieve zero emissions by 2030 before having to backtrack on its statements of intent shortly afterwards. Fashion houses now find themselves in the contradiction of having to sell to remain competitive and credible, but at the same time can no longer postpone the urgency of making drastic decisions on sustainability and transparency, hardly reconcilable with large-scale production. For now, emission-free fashion is still a utopia.
