The Intersection of Fashion and Climate: A Comparative Examination of the Australian Fashion and Textile Industry's Approach to Climate Change

Abstract

This paper delves into a comparative review of the actions of the Australian fashion industry in response to climate change. The focus of this review centres around major benchmark events in the Australian landscape of policies and regulations enactment, which shape the consumption of fashion in the country. This paper compares the interconnectedness or disconnected discourse of the fashion and textile industry’s trends, in response to climate change, within the Australian context. Climate change is set to catastrophically impact global food supplies and endanger human health by inducing heat-related mortality, cardiovascular diseases and mental health issues. In the next decade, it is expected to force millions of people into extreme poverty. The severity of climate change awareness has transpired the sustainability concept into a prime prerequisite for global business models. Fashion and textile businesses are quickly adapting to lower their environmental impact. However, this industry is still considered to be the second-most polluting sector globally. It contributes to greenhouse gas emissions via raw material extraction, production, and distribution processes. In addition, synthetic textiles impact the marine biosphere by releasing microplastic fragments. At the end of the product life cycle, most textiles are discarded in irreversible landfills. Australia is the second biggest consumer of textile, clothing and footwear products. Therefore, it is critical to compare the impact of the Australian fashion and textile industry and its response to the climate crisis.