The textile sector is woven into our daily lives. Globally, it provides products, employment, and generates $1.5 trillion in revenue annually. However, its impact on climate change, nature loss and pollution remains substantial. Every year, this sector emits 2-8% of the world’s greenhouse gases, uses the equivalent of 86 million Olympic-sized swimming pools of natural water resources, and is responsible for 9% of microplastic pollution in our oceans. The textile sector is also confronted with a social challenge: poor working conditions and uneven distribution of income throughout the value chain.
A systems change and an accelerated transition towards a sustainable textile value chain are becoming increasingly necessary. Discussions at multilateral fora, including the United Nations Environment Assembly, bolster the importance of circular economy and just transition in such high-impact sectors as textiles.
In this context, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Belgian Presidency will jointly host the high-level event “Threads of Change: Systemic Transformation of the Textile Sector”.
This event will offer a unique opportunity to reflect on:
- Global textile sector priorities and needs that policies can help address, contributing to just transition and international processes
- Global policy solutions to leverage the textile sector to contribute to climate, nature and zero pollution goals and sustainable resource management
It will prompt pivotal inquiries concerning material consumption, microplastics, and circularity in the context of the UNEA resolutions and EU policy discussions on corporate due diligence and other relevant issues.
The conference will be held in English (no translation will be provided).
The event will be webstreamed here
More information on the subject:
UNEP’s report ‘Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain: A Global Roadmap’
The EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles
