The Fashion4Land side-event "Unravelling the Environmental Impact of Fibres" was held at UNCCD COP16 on 4 December 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was organised by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the UN Environment Programme in collaboration with the Sustainable Fibre Alliance, the Fashion Commission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UN Economic Commission for Europe, the European Union and the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion.
Recording available here:
The event featured a panel of experts and high-level speakers from a variety of sectors to unravel the connection between fashion and land degradation and explored the different fiber choices, from natural to synthetic, impact land use and soil health. The discussion also delved into the fashion value chain, highlighting its significant environmental impacts and examples of sustainable practices. Furthermore, the event focused on necessary policy and market mechanisms, as well as solutions and innovations to make the fashion sector more land friendly.
The event served as a launching pad for the new #Fashion4Land publication and exhibition, and was followed by a networking reception.
More specifically the event:
- Highlighted the critical link between fashion, particularly fiber choices, and their direct impact on land use, soil health, and overall environmental sustainability.
- Advocated for the adoption of natural, degradable fibers and sustainable practices throughout the fashion value chain to reduce the industry's land degradation footprint. Highlighted the environmental impacts associated with synthetic fibers, focusing on waste management, soil toxification, and the need for alternative solutions to mitigate these impacts.
- Explored and promoted comprehensive strategies that consider the entire lifecycle of fashion products, including sustainable agriculture, forestry, grazing, and pastoralism, as well as the roles of policymakers, businesses and consumers to create a more sustainable and land-friendly industry.
Background information:
The fashion industry plays a significant role in driving environmental change, particularly in relation to land use, soil health and land degradation. The choice of fibers presents a range of challenges for our planet, as each type of fiber has its own set of environmental and social impacts. Cotton, for instance, requires vast resources and is a significant contributor to soil depletion, while wool and cashmere are linked to overgrazing and desertification. Synthetic fibers contribute to these issues through microplastic pollution, while wood-based fibers may result in deforestation. Despite the promising potential of alternative materials such as agricultural waste fibers, they remain a niche product and have yet to gain significant market traction. The scale of the fashion industry, the fast pace of consumption and reliance on these materials place significant pressure on natural resources and the environment, exacerbating land degradation and challenging the balance between production and environmental stewardship. By focusing on fashion's impact on land, we can promote more sustainable practices that protect the environment, conserve biodiversity and ensure that land remains productive for generations to come.
For more information about the event, please contact:
Claire Thiebault, Programme Management Officer, UNEP, claire.thiebault@un.org
Bettina Heller, Programme Management Officer, UNEP, bettina.heller@un.org
