On 7 June, the Executive Vice President of the Commission, Frans Timmermans gave a speech at the Global Fashion week in Copenhagen where he addressed the issue of sustainability in textiles when it comes to production and consumption.
The unsustainable obsession with fast fashion requires excessive amounts of water and energy in production and compromises the environment through pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Mr Timmermans highlighted that this has compelled the Commission to chart a path towards change by 2030, which will see textiles follow ecodesign standards in durability, reusability, repairability and recyclability.
The speech brings into focus the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. Some recommendations to help the textile industry contribute to the circular economy and sustainability were also suggested:
- more reuse and repair
- more second-hand collections
- minimising carbon and environmental footprints
The full video can be accessed here.
The EOC EU Office will keep you updated on how the changes will have a potential impact on sustainable corporate practices in sport.