According to Polman, sustainability in fashion needs to be addressed immediately as climate change continues to gain momentum, reported Just Style.
He warned that since climate change is already happening more quickly than anticipated, change is even more urgently needed, saying, "Frankly, we don't have a choice." He continued by saying that the global character of fashion and its dependence on natural resources put it at special risk.
According to Polman, the majority of "CSR" programs are no longer effective and were frequently designed primarily with damage mitigation in mind rather than genuine transformation. "Today, less is just not good enough," he said the delegates.
Polman cautioned that far too many businesses continue to set unrealistic goals and shirk accountability for their effects on the environment. This, he claimed, was the case even though it is clearly obvious what adjustments are required.
"It is no longer an option to be good for fashion and bad for the environment," Polman said.
He went on to say that the fashion industry's success in this will essentially depend on one straightforward choice: "Do you care?"
With two days of discussions and seminars covering a wide range of topics from labor rights to environmental targets, the fashion industry is well-equipped with knowledge to effect meaningful change.
Will the delegates, however, actually do anything, or will they just go back home after Copenhagen and carry on as usual? We actually are running out of time, as Polman warned.
"I do hope we'll be able to say that the fashion industry decided to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, at this pivotal moment, when everything was on the line, when the fate of humanity was at stake," he continued./BGNES