PAPER OF SUSTAINABILITY & BUSINESS
THE CASE STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF FAST FASHION
DEVELOPMENT FOR GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY
Made by:
Group 2
Group’s Members:
Christian Natanael
(014201800052)
Ferdian Pradha Adhitama
(014201800111)
Margaretha
(014201800077)
M Rizki Ullyn Nuha
(014201800033)
Rakan Naufal Ihsan
(014201800049)
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Currently, fashion has become one of the needs that are considered important for people's lives
today, even its status has changed from being included in the category of tertiary needs into
primary needs. This is understandable considering the impact of rapid development of technology
and communication after the existence of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and
YouTube, which are actually just a medium of communication, have now turned into a medium
for personal expression of its users. Where social media users can now share various kinds of
things that concern themselves as individuals to many people in the form of post content, aka called
feeds. As a result, people flock to do everything they can to be seen differently in front of other
communities. One way is to buy fashion items, especially fashion items that are becoming a trend
at that time. The problem is that the high demand for fashion items from the public causes a
dilemma for business people in the fashion sector. On the one hand, the large number of fashion
demands from the public has created a business opportunity and a profit gap that can be taken
maximally by fashion brand companies. But on the other hand, if the fashion brand company wants
to take advantage of these opportunities, the impact is that it can exacerbate environmental damage
that has occurred so far. Moreover, the production process of fashion goods itself has caused
damage to environmental ecosystems such as the use of Nylon or Polyester which causes air
pollution and is difficult to decompose on the ground, excessive use of clean water, textile dyes
that produce toxic and dangerous waste, disposal of CO2 gas. leading to global warming, etc.
CHAPTER II
THEORITICAL BACKGROUND
A. Challenges of Sustainable Development
At present we are faced with a number of complex problems that occur in the global, especially in
the economic and business fields. The development of global business and economy at this time
has progressed very rapidly in the last few decades, and it is almost rare that an economic crisis
has occurred previously. Coupled with globalization and the opening of various cooperation
policies in the economic and financial fields by all governments of countries in the world, it also
helps many existing companies to penetrate their business to other countries in order to expand the
production networks they need in order to make good products with affordable prices for
consumers. Even so, these efforts seem to cause serious problems for the environment and social
environment, moreover, most business people almost never pay attention to these problems
because they are more after profit. Various issues on the problems behind industrial operations
carried out by business people have started to slowly appear in front of the public. Such as forest
and ecological damage to flora and fauna, environmental pollution caused by various pollution
and waste that is dumped on a large scale, lack of access to clean and safe water for consumption,
many epidemics of diseases and health problems, many people still have difficulty getting access
to adequate education. feasible, labor and welfare issues, and many other issues that cannot be
mentioned one by one which are all caused by the lack of concern from business people. If this is
allowed to continue, it could threaten the operational sustainability of the business itself, which
can affect the global economy. And the only way that can be taken so that these problems can be
overcome or reduced temporarily is by implementing a sustainable business development system.
“Sustainable Development”
Within the business world over the last four decades, sustainability has become a common word.
Some companies have changed their organizational structures, renaming what were once called
Environment, Health and Safety to Departments of Sustainability, which recognize that protecting
environmental and workers’ health and respecting the communities in which they operate are core
values that help retain a license to operate. Businesses have joined together to promote larger
industrial ventures, such as Sustainable Mining and Sustainable Chemistry, in anticipation that the
introduction of certain business objectives or standards of operating will provide a firm basis for
being green.
However it is packaged, the word sustainability means to support and maintain a condition so that
it continues without interruption, diminution, giving way, fading, or yielding. It means that we
want whatever we are doing to continue to be done in the future. It was, in fact, just such a concern
with business as usual‖ and the perceived environmental degradation resulting from it, that inspired
the Club of Rome in 1972 to issue a report, which urged the adoption of a global equilibrium that
would be sustainable without sudden and uncontrolled collapse and that was capable of satisfying
the basic requirements of all the world’s people. This report was one of the first uses of the term
sustainable aimed at operating modern businesses. It was, however, viewed by most economists
and business leaders at the time as being voiced by a fringe group that lacked pragmatism.
“Three Component of Sustainable Development”
1. Economic approach
Economic development desired to produce a maximum flow of income in terms of rational
use, resource efficiency, particularly scarce resources. As a manifestation of
macroeconomic dynamics, economic development requires a set of quantitative
transformations, structure and quality, both in economic and in scientific research and
manufacturing technologies in organizational structures and mechanisms of economic
functioning in thinking and people's behavior (Becker, 2001).In this approach, the main
concern is related to how countries develop their economies. It is shown that rapid
economic growth with obtaining maximum benefits, especially for developing countries,
creates a heavy burden on the ability of the planet to support. From the perspective of
sustainable development, economic growth should be such that negative environmental
impact is limited. The concept of sustainable development represents a paradigm shift in
this area - sustainability is not just about pivita environmental protection but is discussed
in the context of connection with other areas, especially those involving economic activity
(Krajnc & Glavic, 2005). Therefore, development must be conceived as a process
multidimensional, involving major changes in social structures, attitudes popular and
national institutions, aiming at accelerating economic growth, reducing inequality and
poverty eradication. On the one hand, the economic dimension aims to ensure a balanced
and sustainable economic environment by producing goods and services continuously to
maintain manageable levels of government and external debt and avoid extreme sectoral
imbalances affecting agriculture and production industrial, and in order to achieve needed
training a competitive industry, diversification of industrial production and attracting
investment. On the other hand, the economic dimension of the strategy is strangled by other
countries that fail to recover from the economic crisis, putting its future difficulty.
Moreover, the common objectives, they must reach a certain level joint and above this
impediment can change the results (Stefanescu et al., 2009). These issues need to be
resolved in a manner that inspires even if the problems are difficult, however, to have full
exhalation solutions. Instruments that lead to economic purpose is achieved education,
scientific and intellectual potential that is available, the target technology and natural
resources, thereby triggering role in economic activity, which in turn helps in achieving the
ultimate goal of the strategy.
2. Ecological Component
Environment development can be defined as the ability to hold whiles the three basic
functions of the environment: the power function of resources, waste receptor function and
the direct utility (Wardle & Giller, 1996). By its complexity, ecological component of
sustainable development captures not only the actual economic development in relation to
the environment, but the entire development. Ecological development is closely correlated
growth and interrelation with environmental laws, the ecological balance. Wheeler (2004)
says that currently witnessing a transition from an economic perspective toward an
environmental perspective. This dimension is oriented towards satisfying specific practical
requirements, and long, proposing harmony and complexity, excluding unilateral
orientation to a branch or another of the industry. In other words, in an area environmental
development is the capacity to grow and to bring the environment and its peculiarities,
while ensuring the protection and renewal of natural resources and environmental heritage.
Environmental protection is considering physical and biological system stability,
developing their capacity to adapt to change and lessconservation status considered ideal
(Bran, 1991). Assuming a complex structure, diversified term eco-development is
characterized by greater capacity according to the requirements of a stage and some major
goals. It requires caution in ecologically; stimulates the development of knowledge based
on consumption, but subordinate planning opportunities; expected a harmonious
development, cautious, in full agreement with the possibilities at a time and in a particular
place. Thus, economic growth should not affect the environment in order to talk about
sustainable development. International organizations have proposed environmental policy,
but there are a lot of people who do not like the actions targeting the environment, on the
issue as a political commonplace. As said above ecological development is an objective of
developing countries that stretches over a long period.
3. Human (Society) Component
Assuming that viable alternatives have been identified to maintain ecological balance, and
authorities everywhere so converting raw materials purchasing in material goods to be
made in accordance with the requirements for efficiency and optimality, quality of life and
labor standards is the prerequisite fulfillment and satisfaction professional, social or
otherwise. Human sustainability has regard to social interactions, relationships, behavioral
patterns and values of humanity (Dempsey et al., 2011).Human component aimed at sociocultural stability, achieve fairness both at the same time a generation is concerned
maintaining cultural diversity "world village", as the prevention or cure of "social ills" of
contemporaneity: loneliness or alienation, lack of job satisfaction (continue under a
narrowing of specialization on the basis of "knowing more and more about less and less"
that difficult for the worker to perceive the finished product and understand the usefulness
of his work), the relativism of values, the end of history, uncertainties about the nearer
future or more distant "disease" postmodern age specific. Realizing the need for further
social development (without harming the environment) is imperative to protect and
improve the state of the environment represents the only possibility to create and maintain
the welfare of both the present generation and those to come, this balance was the factor
that can and should ensure development company whole.Minica and France (2008)
synthesize the human aspect of sustainable development worldwide involves the following
objectives:
• Promotion of education, training and public support for the environment
• Protecting and promoting human health (focused on access to medical facilities,
especially in rural areas, control of infectious diseases, risks pollution and ecological
risk).
• Fight against poverty (through access of the poor to sustainable livelihoods, promoting
human development and integrated policy investment in human capital).
• Demographic threatening sustainable development (focusing on population growth,
especially in developing countries).
Study Case :
“Can The Fashion Industries Ever Really Be Sustainable ?”
The fashion industry has some truly major sustainability problems in its midst. By 2030, it is
predicted that the industry’s water consumption will grow by 50 percent to 118 billion cubic meters
(or 31.17 trillion gallons), its carbon footprint will increase to 2,791 million tons and the amount
of waste it creates will hit 148 million tons. These predictions come despite the significant progress
being made by brands and retailers to minimize their impact. Many brands are using sustainable
cotton initiatives to reduce water, energy and chemical use, new dyeing technology to reduce water
consumption by up to 50 percent, as well as numerous energy and chemical saving schemes
throughout the supply chain. In the UK, the result of this work is percolating through to retailers,
with a reduction in the carbon and water footprints per ton of clothing of 8 percent and 7 percent
respectively since 2012. Yes, the industry is working to reduce the environmental footprint of its
products. But the problem has now shifted to the consumption side: the insatiable appetite for
fashion means people are buying more and more clothes. Since 2012, there has been a 10 percent
increase in the amount of clothing purchased in the UK alone. And not only are consumers buying
more; the rate at which their clothing gets discarded is becoming increasingly quicker as they chase
the latest fashion trends. It is estimated there is over £30 billion ($38 billion) of clothing sitting in
wardrobes across the UK that has not been worn for over 12 months. Fast fashion is seen by many
as the fundamental cause of many of the sustainability issues the industry faces. And so it has been
suggested by numerous commentators, academics and NGOs that ethical consumption can and
will lead to a paradigm shift in behavior. Over time, it is thought that slow fashion may become
the norm, with consumers wearing classically styled garments that last for years instead of months
or weeks. This might serve to minimize the need to make new purchases of the latest fashion fad,
therefore reducing impacts. The logic of this argument is predicated on the idea that consumers
are rational animals with behavior that is controlled and predictable. But the growth of ethical
consumption has not materialized in mainstream fashion. Ethically-minded brands believe the
single biggest issue stopping them becoming more sustainable is the consumer; either through their
lack of awareness of the issues faced by the industry or through an unwillingness to pay the
premium for sustainable products. Can ethical consumption really exist in the mainstream
fashion market? Psychology and behavioral science may suggest that ethical fashion
consumption is a pipe dream. We believe our purchasing decisions are based on rational,
conscious and well thought out deliberations, but in reality, the complexity of human behavior and
the fundamental nature of fashion implies that ethical consumption may not be an attainable goal.
Fashion and Ego
Why is this case ?
First, it is important to explain that marketing tools such as the questionnaires and surveys used to
predict the growth of ethical consumption are problematic. They are good for identifying
purchasing intentions but poor predictors of actual behavior. Surveys tend to illicit a response that
presents the participant in a positive light: non-ethical shoppers tend to state they are ethical to
protect their external image. And surveys are reliant on the participant being truthful and
knowledgeable about their behavior. How truthful we are is debatable and research shows we are
not as knowledgeable as we think we are about the drivers for our behavior. Our behavior is far
more selfish than we might like to believe. Rational models of consumption are based on the
idea that individuals make choices that balance costs and benefits. An ethical consumer will
make rational judgements about purchases on the best outcome in terms of costs and benefits
for them and the environment. But consumption, and in particular fashion consumption, is quite
irrational. Purchase decisions are more likely to be driven by desires linked to pleasure and
excitement. Fashion is a social activity for setting our status (the egoistical drivers) but it is also
an activity that is driven by emotional desires such as the fantasy, excitement and aspirations of
living a better, more fulfilling life. These hedonistic subconscious forces are what make shopping
for clothes exciting and pleasurable. They create a less rational approach to consumption which
ultimately reduces the influence of rational thoughts about ethics and the environmental
consequences of our purchases.
Fast and Ethical Fashion
Ethical campaigners, journalists and even some brands have argued that consumers would be able
overcome these subconscious forces of fun and excitement if they had more information about the
ethical issues. But evidence shows that this does little to increase ethical behavior. In fact, more
information tends to reduce the influence of ethical issues due to the complexity of the issues. This
complexity is doubled by the amount of conflicting information produced by NGOs, the media
and brands themselves: cotton is bad for the environment; microfibers are poisoning the oceans;
bamboo is ethical (it’s not). When the experts can’t agree on the big issues for fashion, it’s that
much easier for the consumer to turn a blind eye and buy that new shirt. An alternative, radical
approach may be to recognize that humans have always used fashion to satisfy emotional,
egoistical desires. So, the challenge should be shifted from trying to control these primeval,
irrational behaviors to finding a systemic and ethical approach to embrace them. Can we find
sustainable solutions that actually move ever closer to a disposable fashion industry? The desire
for new clothes is something that may be impossible to change. So instead of trying to appeal
to the consumer’s supposed ethical streak, perhaps brands should aim instead to use new
technology and business models to design products that can be recycled or re-engineered into new
styles with minimal use of virgin materials, water, energy and chemicals. In this model, we would
not aim to change thousands of years of evolution in the space of a generation, but use innovation
and creativity to make industry bend to our inherent needs. It is a major technical and commercial
challenge, but shifting to such a consumer-driven model may open up new opportunities for
business, as well as becoming more sustainable.
Solution :
Based on the case study above, the solution that can be done is to provide an educational
understanding to the public about the awareness of the dangers of buying excessive fashion
products and only use them once. This is intended so that people do not buy fashion products
excessively and according to their needs for use in a long period of time besides that the fashion
industry business people must implement the Circular Fashion System and slow fashion
production with the aim of suppressing the public's desire to buy fashion products and on the other
hand, it also reduces the rate of increase in clothing and fabric waste that has accumulated.
Conclusion :
The fashion industry is currently under threat due to problems caused by its production activities
which are considered to be damaging to the ecology of the environment and the added demand for
excessive fashion products from the community also exacerbates existing problems. If it is left
unchecked, it is not impossible that the continuity of global life will one day be destroyed.
B. From Malthus to Sustainable Development
C. Global Environmental Issues
BACKGROUND
Long before the industrial revolution, human activity began to alter the Earth's environment.
However, only in this century has the scale of such alterations become global in scope;
moreover, the rate of these recent changes is enormously high compared with the historical
record. Today, on the threshold of a new millennium, it is clear that humans are inducing
environmental changes in the planet as a whole. In fact, the human fingerprint is abundantly seen
on the global atmosphere, the world oceans, and the land of all continents. This insight has
brought about profound changes in the goals, priorities, and processes of both science and
government.
Global Environmental Issues Is refers to the effect on the climate of human actions, in particular
the on fire of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) and large-scale deforestation, which cause emissions
to the atmosphere of large amounts of 'greenhouse gases', of which the most important is carbon
dioxide.
Population, Income, and Urbanization
population affects the economy of a country because the more population owned by a country
will increase the burden of expenditure and income resulting in urbanization, namely the
movement of population from rural areas to urban areas or large cities with the aim of settling in
a certain period of time.
- population
sample population data from 2008 to 2014 increased dramatically from 11.59 million people to
the number in 2014 to 13.59 million people living in an area of 390,757 km²
- Income
Per capita GDP is $ 600
(Third lowest in the world)
Highest government salary is $ 508 / month
- Urbanization
the more population in a country will affect its income (can be small or large) and the greater the
costs that must be incurred "You wake up one morning and find you have no money."
Health care
Health-care is the maintenance or improvement of health through the prevention, diagnosis,
treatment, recovery, or cure of disease, illness, injury and mental impairments in people
Effect of Materials and Energy Flows
- Climate Change
caused by electricity production activities which are dominated by coal-fired power plants and
natural gas power plants which account for about 30% of the total gas emissions that cause
global warming.
- Air Pollution
occurs due to the entry of pollutants (objects that cause pollution) into the atmosphere. The
impact decreases the quality and function of air.
- Water Pollution
Caused by industrial waste is very potential as a cause of water pollution. Because the liquid
waste is immediately disposed of without being treated first. Even though the waste contains
hazardous and toxic materials.
- Soil Contamination
caused by chemicals that are disposed of directly. Contamination can also be caused by nonbiodegradable inorganic waste.
Industrial Ecology (IE)
Is the study of materials and energy flow through industrial systems. The field of sustainability
approaches issues by examining problems from multiple perspectives, usually involving
sociological, environmental, economic and technological aspects
Industrial ecology aims to reduce the environmental impact of industry by examining the flow of
materials and energy in products, processes, industrial sectors, and the economy.
Concept :
1. Industrial metabolism is a way of how the industry handles the flow of materials and energy
flow as a whole through an industrial system, to consumers and to its final disposal site. There
are three concepts of natural metabolism brought about in the concept of industrial ecology :
- Industrial metabolism is a comprehensive integration of a set of physical processes that convert
raw materials and energy into final products and waste in a steady state.
- Industrial metabolism can be tested as an individual operating unit in an industrial production
process, at the factory and global levels.
- Industrial ecology is considered as an analogy between biological metabolism and industrial
metabolism, which is the concept of the life cycle.
2. Industrial ecosystem
There are five main components in the industrial ecosystem, namely producers of main raw
materials, energy sources, material processing and manufacturing, the waste processing sector
and finally the consumer sector.
There are four main elements to implementing the industrial ecology concept
Optimizing the use of existing resources;
(2) Create a closed material cycle and minimize emissions;
(3) Dematerialization process; and
(4) Reducing and eliminating dependence on non-renewable energy sources
Precautionary Principle
Precautionary principles are the foundations for policy when it has to deal with weakly
understood causes of potential catastrophic or irreversible events, and where protective decisions
require certain and costly policy interventions that may not solve the problem that they are
designed to correct
Other than that Definition of the principle. The Rio Declaration states:
In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States
according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of
full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to
prevent environmental degradation (Rio Declaration 1992, Principle 15).
Solution
Reforestation
In even-aged forestry, all the mature trees that comprise the overstory are removed at once to
create an environment that's exposed to sunlight. In this area, new trees can be planted.
Uneven-aged forestry systems are methods that are used to regenerate forests that contain trees
of varying ages and sizes after harvest.
Conclution :
Global environmental problems refer to the effects of human actions, in particular forest fires
and large-scale deforestation that cause large amounts of greenhouse gases to occur in the
atmosphere, to prevent all that from happening human actions taken must be based on mutual
benefits and not harm nature, and humans must reduce use of greenhouses, thereby reducing the
atmosphere generated by greenhouses.
D. Sustainable Development Indicators
-
Definition
Sustainable development indicators are statistics that are used to measure social equity,
economic growth, institutional capacity, and environmental protection to ascertain the different
dimensions and levels of sustainable development.
The drop in garment prices over the last 20 years has allowed us to buy more and more
clothes. We now have 5 times more clothes than our grandparents had. It felt great until we
found out what was hiding behind this trend.
In reality, this continuous accumulation of cheap garments is only possible because of a constant
reduction of production costs. This, in turn, has serious consequences on our health, our planet,
and on garment workers’ lives.
-
Fast fashion: the monster in our closets
It has become a challenge to wear a garment more than five times. Why?
1) Garment quality is declining every year. As a result, our clothes immediately look faded,
shapeless, or worn out.
2) Trends are changing so quickly that we cannot keep up. We continue to purchase just to stay
up to date.
This is Fast Fashion: Mass-production of cheap, disposable clothing. Countless new collections
per year make us feel constantly out of date and encourage us to keep buying more.
What can we change about it?
Find out about the available alternatives in the section "How to reduce our impact".
-
80 billion garments are produced each year
We produce 400% more clothes than 20 years ago
Most woman wear only 20% - 30% of the clothes on their wardrobes
-
An average of 35kg of textile waste is generated per persone each year in US
Toxic substances in our clothes
Chemicals are used in every part of the textile production for making fibers, bleaching and
dyeing fabrics, etc… When they arrive in the shops, our clothes still contain a lot of
chemicals, even clothes made of "100% natural" fiber. Our skin is our body's largest organ
and absorbs anything we put on it, including chemicals in our clothes. These can present a
real danger to our health.
How are they harmful?
A Greenpeace study for the Detox Campaign has identified 11 chemicals frequently used to
make our clothes that contain toxins, carcinogens, and hormone disruptors which should be
banned, but currently aren't.
Some Studies show that certain chemical substances contained in pajamas, can be found in a
child's urine 5 days after wearing those pajamas for one night.
A recent study found hazardous chemicals in 63% of the items tested from 20 different textile
brands (including fashion giants).
What can we do about it?
•
Always wash new clothes before using them for the first time.
•
Look for garments with chemical content certification label such as OEKO-TEX®,
GOTS, or BLUESIGN®.
Fashion’s Environmental Impacts
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world just after the oil industry. And the
environmental damage is increasing as the industry grows.
However, there are solutions and alternatives to mitigate these problems. The first step lies in
building awareness and willingness to change.
-
Water pollution of the fashion industry
In most of the countries in which garments are produced, untreated toxic wastewaters from
textiles factories are dumped directly into the rivers.
Wastewater contains toxic substances such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, among others. These
are extremely harmful for the aquatic life and the health of millions of people living by those
rivers banks. The contamination also reaches the sea and eventually spreads around the globe.
Another major source of water contamination is the use of fertilizers for cotton production,
which heavily pollutes runoff waters and evaporation waters.
What can we do about it?
•
Choose clothes made in countries with stricter environmental regulations for factories
(EU, Canada, US...)
•
Choose organic fibers and natural fibers that do not require chemicals to be produced
-
Microfibers pollution of the fashion industry
Every time we wash a synthetic garment (polyester,nylon, etc), about 700.000 individual
microfibers are released into the water, making their way into our oceans. Scientists have
discovered that small aquatic organisms ingest those microfibers. These are then eaten by small
fish which are later eaten by bigger fish, introducing plastic in our food chain. See more info
#WhatsInyMyWash and on Stop! Micro Waste.
A recent study is also showing that wearing synthetic fibers is releasing plastic microfibers to the
air. According to the study one person “could release almost 300 million polyester microfibres
per year to the environment by washing their clothes, and more than 900 million to the air by
simply wearing the garments”.
What can we do about it?
•
Choose natural or semi-synthetic fibers
•
Wash clothes only when you need to
•
Wash clothes at a lower temperature (30ºC)
-
Waste problem of the fashion industry
Clothing has clearly become disposable. As a result, we generate more and more textile waste. A
family in the western world throws away an average of 30 kg of clothing each year. Only 15% is
recycled or donated, and the rest goes directly to the landfill or is incinerated.
Synthetic fibers, such as polyester, are plastic fibers, therefore non-biodegradable and can take
up to 200 years to decompose. Synthetic fibers are used in 72% of our clothing.
What can we do about it?
•
Choose natural or semi-synthetic fibers
•
Buy less, buy better quality and recycle
-
Greenhouse gases emissions of the fashion industry
The apparel industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions.
The global fashion industry is generating a lot of greenhouse gases due to the energy used during
its production, manufacturing, and transportation of the million garments purchased each year.
Synthetic fibers (polyester, acrylic, nylon, etc.), used in the majority of our clothes, are made
from fossil fuel, making production much more energy-intensive than with natural fibers.
Most of our clothes are produced in China, Bangladesh, or India, countries essentially powered
by coal. This is the dirtiest type of energy in terms of carbon emissions.
Also, according to James Conca from FORBES: " Cheap synthetic fibers also emit gases like
N2O, which is 300 times more damaging than CO2."
What can we do about it?
•
Choose natural fibers
•
Buy less, buy better quality, mend clothes
•
Buy clothes made in countries powered by more renewable energy
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Soils degradation caused by the fashion industry
The soil is a fundamental element of our ecosystem. We need healthy soil for food production
but also to absorb CO2. The massive, global degradation of soil is one of the main
environmental issues our planet is currently facing. It presents a major threat to global food
security and also contributes to global warming.
The fashion industry plays a major part in degrading soil in different ways: overgrazing of
pastures through cashmere goats and sheep raised for their wool; degradation of the soil due to
massive use of chemicals to grow cotton; deforestation caused by wood-based fibers like rayon.
What can we do about it?
•
Choose fibers friendly to the soil
How can we reduce our Fashion Environmental Impact?
1.
BUY LESS
Even the greenest garment uses resources for production and transport to your home, creating
some environmental impact.
A root of the problem lies in our excessive consumerism: we buy 10 while our grandmothers
bought 2.
We tend to think that buying new clothes will make us happy. Maybe we should reconsider some
foundations of our lifestyle.
2.
BUY CLOTHES FROM SUSTAINABLE BRANDS
More and more fashion brands take into account the environmental and social impact of their
production.
You can find our favourite sustainable brands in the section The Brands We Like.
We will not lie to you: the offer is still limited and it is easier and cheaper to go to the closest
shopping center to refill your wardrobe. But the more we demand sustainable clothing, the more
will be available- just like organic food was difficult to find 15 years ago. Today, it is available
in most supermarkets.
Pricewise, yes, you will pay more for sustainable clothing than in a fast fashion shop (H&M,
Zara, Primark...), but we know what lies behind those very low prices...
Nonetheless, sustainable brands will not necessarily cost more than brand-name clothing, for
which we sometimes pay high prices for the image, but rarely for the quality or the sustainability.
3.
BUY BETTER QUALITY
Because clothes have become so cheap, we no longer care as much about quality. We just buy
new garments when the ones we have lose their shape or appeal.
Additionally, we have all had the experience of buying expensive clothing or pair of shoes and
facing the disappointment when two month later, they already look old or have holes in them.
If we stop buying poor quality, it will push brands to improve the quality of their garments. It
will also allow us to keep our clothes longer, which is good for our wallets and for the
environment.
4 THINK TWICE BEFORE THROWING OUT YOUR CLOTHES.
Don’t throw your clothes in the normal bins! Most of them consist of synthetic, nonbiodegradable fiber and will just pile up in the landfill. There are other options:
-Try to repair them. Sometimes with a bit of imagination, you can repair or even redesign a torn
garment.
- Donate your clothes to your friends, family, neighbours, or to charity.
- Some clothes shops take back used clothes from their own brand or even from other brands.
- Put them in the textile recycling bin. Textiles can be recycled to make new clothing.
5.
BUY SECOND HAND, SWAP, & RENT CLOTHING
Instead of buying new clothing, have a look at alternative options:
- Second hand shop: It's not a new concept! You can find second hand shops everywhere in the
world. Many websites and apps also offer all kinds of second hand options ranging from the
cheapest to brand-name clothes.
- Swap clothes: These types of initiatives are popping up all over the world. Participants bring
clothes that are no longer wear and exchange them for clothes they will use. This is an economic
and eco-friendly way to refill your wardrobe. You can also organize it among your friends.
Read more about “How to organize a clothes swap”
- Rent clothes: Clothes rentals is also a growing industry. This is a great option, especially for
clothes that you will not wear for a long time or often (baby or pregnancy clothes, party
dresses...). Some companies also offer a monthly fee, allowing customers to constantly renew
their wardrobe.
The organization of second hand, swapping and renting clothes usually takes place on a local
level. Find out what is available in your neighbourhood.
-
Conclusion
Everything that becomes a problem in our environment must have a solution if we can control
what we have to control and reduce activities that are detrimental to the environment around us.
E. Sustainable Development Indicator
Agregating Indicators
The literature of composite indicators offers several examples of aggregation techniques. The most
used are additive techniques that range from summing up country ranking in each indicator to
aggregating weighted normalised indicators. Yet, additive aggregations imply requirements and
properties, both of the indicators and of the associated weights, which are often not desirable and
at times difficult to meet or burdensome to verify. To overcome these difficulties the literature
proposes other, and less widespread, aggregation methods such as multiplicative (e.g. geometric)
aggregations or non-compensatory aggregations, such as the multi-criteria analysis.
https://composite-indicators.jrc.ec.europa.eu/?q=10-step-guide/step-7-aggregating-indicators
OTHER WEIGHTING S YSTEMS
A weighting system based upon best technical information can also be used. An example
can be found in a study done in Canada during the 1970s by a group led by Herbert Inhaber (1976).
Inhaber established (Rogers et al. (1997), p. 16) four components of the environment to measure:
air, water, land, and miscellaneous.
In haber also created indices for interurban air quality, overcrowding in cities, visibility at
airports, and industrial emissions. Indices for rural areas consisted of forestry maintenance and
resources, insect and disease damage, forest fires, land quality due to forestry, industrial emissions
of sulfur oxides from eroded rural areas, and industrial emissions. Other indices were access to
national and provincial parks, strip mining, and sedimentation.
Water Quality Index
The database for water quality included industrial and municipal effluent index, ambient water
quality index, turbidity, and the amount of mercury found in fish. Inhaber was referring to items
for which it already had data, but one could think of other factors to measure. In any case, Inhaber’s
water quality index was computed in the same way as the air index was computed.
WHAT IS PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS?
•
Principal Component Analysis, or PCA, is a dimensionality-reduction method that is often
used to reduce the dimensionality of large data sets, by transforming a large set of variables
into a smaller one that still contains most of the information in the large set.
•
Reducing the number of variables of a data set naturally comes at the expense of accuracy,
but the trick in dimensionality reduction is to trade a little accuracy for simplicity. Because
smaller data sets are easier to explore and visualize and make analyzing data much easier
and faster for machine learning algorithms without extraneous variables to process.
•
So to sum up, the idea of PCA is simple — reduce the number of variables of a data set,
while preserving as much information as possible
STEP BY STEP EXPLANATION OF PCA
•
STEP 1: STANDARDIZATION
The aim of this step is to standardize the range of the continuous initial variables so that each one
of them contributes equally to the analysis. More specifically, the reason why it is critical to
perform standardization prior to PCA, is that the latter is quite sensitive regarding the variances of
the initial variables. That is, if there are large differences between the ranges of initial variables,
those variables with larger ranges will dominate over those with small ranges (For example, a
variable that ranges between 0 and 100 will dominate over a variable that ranges between 0 and
1), which will lead to biased results. So, transforming the data to comparable scales can prevent
this problem.
Mathematically, this can be done by subtracting the mean and dividing by the standard deviation
for each value of each variable.
Once the standardizatioan is done, all the variables will be transformed to the same scale.
•
STEP 2: COVARIANCE MATRIX COMPUTATION
The aim of this step is to understand how the variables of the input data set are varying from the
mean with respect to each other, or in other words, to see if there is any relationship between them.
Because sometimes, variables are highly correlated in such a way that they contain redundant
information. So, in order to identify these correlations, we compute the covariance matrix.
•
STEP 3: COMPUTE THE EIGENVECTORS AND EIGENVALUES OF THE
COVARIANCE MATRIX TO IDENTIFY THE PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS
Eigenvectors and eigenvalues are the linear algebra concepts that we need to compute from the
covariance matrix in order to determine the principal components of the data. Before getting to
the explanation of these concepts, let’s first understand what do we mean by principal components.
Principal components are new variables that are constructed as linear combinations or mixtures of
the initial variables. These combinations are done in such a way that the new variables (i.e.,
principal components) are uncorrelated and most of the information within the initial variables is
squeezed or compressed into the first components.
•
STEP 4: FEATURE VECTOR
As we saw in the previous step, computing the eigenvectors and ordering them by their
eigenvalues in descending order, allow us to find the principal components in order of
significance. In this step, what we do is, to choose whether to keep all these components
or discard those of lesser significance (of low eigenvalues), and form with the remaining
ones a matrix of vectors that we call Feature vector.
So, the feature vector is simply a matrix that has as columns the eigenvectors of the
components that we decide to keep. This makes it the first step towards dimensionality
reduction, because if we choose to keep only p eigenvectors (components) out of n, the
final data set will have only p dimensions.
LAST STEP : RECAST THE DATA ALONG THE PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS
AXES
•
In the previous steps, apart from standardization, you do not make any changes on the data,
you just select the principal components and form the feature vector, but the input data set
remains always in terms of the original axes (i.e, in terms of the initial variables).
In this step, which is the last one, the aim is to use the feature vector formed using the
eigenvectors of the covariance matrix, to reorient the data from the original axes to the ones
represented by the principal components (hence the name Principal Components Analysis).
This can be done by multiplying the transpose of the original data set by the transpose of
the feature vector
A fast fashion alternative
1. Buy used clothes
One of the reasons for the existence of fast fashion is the high demand for new clothes to
match fashion changes. The easiest way to solve this problem is to buy used clothes. Apart
from reducing the demand for new clothes, this method can also reduce the amount of
clothing waste by preventing the disposal of used clothes.
2. Find clothing brands that are produced ethically
The easiest way to do this is by first checking clothing brands on the internet. Although
sustainable brands tend to be more expensive than other products, this can be our
contribution to support workers' rights while reducing environmental degradation.
3. Donate your used clothes
By donating used clothes, we can reduce the amount of clothing waste that exists. Apart
from that, we can also contribute by helping others who have clothing needs.
4. Performing the "30 wear test" method
The way to do this method is by selecting the clothes to be purchased. When we want to
buy a garment, ask ourselves if we will use the clothing 30 times before throwing it away.
If the answer is yes, then it is safe to buy the clothes. If not, then look for other clothes.
5. Organize / participate in clothing exchange events
Clothing exchange is a form of event where each participant brings a number of clothes
and accessories to the event. At the event, we can trade, exchange, or donate our clothes to
other participants. Besides being able to get rid of the clothes we no longer want to wear,
we can have new clothes without participating in fast fashion.
6. Doing thrift shopping
The name of this activity is taken from the phrase 'thrift shop' which describes a shop that
sells used goods that are still fit for use. Thrift shopping is part of the action of buying used
clothes. However, it can be said that this activity has created a culture of sustainable living
in the community.
Conclusions
In this research, we chose the most commonly used methods for weighting and aggregating SIs
and analyzed the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of each method. We found that
choosing appropriate weighting and aggregation methods for a specific sustainability assessment
project is an extremely important and challenging task. To meet this challenge, we propose a
process-oriented approach for properly selecting methods according to the purpose, scale and
sustainability concept. This approach can facilitate the proper selection of these methods in
sustainability research and practice.
F. Environmental Assessment
Environmental assessment has come into its own since the 1970s as a key tool in environmental
management. While such assessment had been practiced in one form or another long before the
1970s, it is perhaps after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm,
1972, that environmental assessment became part of the common lexicon among environmental
stakeholders as well as the private sector. Environmental assessments are conducted by various
stakeholders and to meet disparate objectives as numerous as the stakeholders themselves.
The different types of environmental assessment include, but are not limited, to:
1. State of the environment (SOE)
2. Integrated Environmental Assessment and reporting (IEA)
3. Environmental impact assessment (EIA)
4. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA)
5. Corporate environmental assessment and reporting
Common to these and other environmental assessment processes is the need for policy responses
for effective environmental management and/or sustainable utilization of the environment.
1. State of the environment (SOE)
Reporting has been largely the preserve of government, through a department or ministry
mandated to undertake such an assessment and to report to parliament or government or for public
information. Traditional SOE reporting has the objective of providing information on the
environment and the trends in its key variables. It is mainly concerned about the biophysical
environment and less about the human dimension except in the context of the pressures humanity
exerts on the environment. It gives information on what is happening to the environment. This
information is very useful and maybe used to analyze trends in key variables of the environment.
2. Integrated Environmental Assessment and reporting (IEA)
With the emergence of the concept of sustainable development – whose three main pillars are
social, economic and environment – practitioners responded with the introduction of
IEA,
which integrates social, economic and environmental issues in the analyses. Integrated
environmental assessment and reporting tries to show the cause-effect link ages of human and
natural action on the environment, and in turn, the resultant environmental change in the state of
the environment and human well-being. The end result of environmental assessment should be
more than just knowing the state of the environment.
It should give policy makers and other
stakeholders some guidance on how to better manage the environment. In order to achieve this,
information obtained from such reports should be integrated with other social and economic data
and information to assist in policy formulation for the environment. The growing interest in linking
environmental, social and economic data and information within the context of sustainable
development facilitates integrated analysis of the complex interactions between people and their
environment. It is also essential to consider ever ages required on policies to promote sustainable
development. This is the concept of IEA and it introduces new challenges to the process of
environmental assessment:
•
It implies an acknowledgement of the environment and human interactions and the impacts
they have on each other overtime.
•
It incorporates environmental assessment into the whole process of environmental policy
planning, pulling together the impact of policies from different sectors over time and the
existing opportunities to promote sustainable livelihoods and options.
•
It gives us an inventory of available resources which can be used as a starting opportunity
for working towards sustainable development.
•
It
requires the development of appropriate measures
to assess existing and changing
pressures and opportunities in the environment, and achievements in reducing or
containing these pressures and increasing available opportunities in a progressive
movement towards sustainable development.
Integrated Environmental Assessment and reporting (IEA) encourages all stakeholders to
constantly ask whether enough his being done in: looking out
for and utilizing opportunities
currently available in environmental resources, achieving sustainable development, reducing
poverty, conserving and improving the state of the environment, and utilizing scenarios in
constructing an outlook.
3. Environmental impact assessment
Of the various environmental assessment processes, EIA is arguably one of the most famous or
notorious, depending on the protagonists. Often in the past, investors/developers have viewed
EIA
with suspicion as a tool used by environmentalists to undermine development. However,
EIA is a tool used to determine the social, economic and environmental impacts of major
developments in order to determine the necessary mitigatory measures. In the context of IEA, EIA
is considered a policy response, along with other policies such as multilateral environmental
agreements (MEAs) and natural resource management laws and institutions. The Southern African
Institute for Environmental Assessment (SAIEA) describes environmental assessment as: a
process to identify, evaluate and assess the potential effects on the environment of a proposed
development before a major decision or commitment is made (SAIEA 2005). The main aims of
the assessment are to:
•
Understand the consequences or impacts of the proposed development on the environment.
•
Identify ways in which the development can be improved. These could include ways to
minimize negative impacts and ways to enhance its benefits.
•
Provide this information to decision-makers. Ultimately, the aim of an environmental
assessment is to ensure that developments are sustainable and do not detrimentally affect
people’s lives or the natural environment (SAIEA 2005).
4. Strategic environmental assessment
According to Opio-Odongo and Woodsworth (2006) SEA contributes to decisions related to both
environmental protection and sustainable development by:
•
Providing broader environmental vision.
•
Considering the effects of proposed strategic actions (policy, programmed and plan).
•
Identifying the best practicable environmental option.
•
Providing early warning of cumulative effects and large-scale changes
•
Contributing to integrated policy-making and planning.
5. Corporate environmental assessment and reporting
The private sector has become a major player in producing annual environmental reports, which
assess their environmental performance in production. About 25 percent of all Global Fortune 500
companies now produce some type of report that charts their environmental, social or sustainability
efforts (Oracle 2005). The increased presence of corporate responsibility in daily business
operations is driven by factors such as the erosion of trust in large corporations, the globalization
of business, the corporate governance movement, the rise in importance of socially-responsible
funds and sheer competitive pressures.
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has developed globally applicable Sustainability Reporting
Guidelines to facilitate the private sector's public account of its economic, environmental, and
social performance in relation to its operations, products, and services. The GRI, which is a UNEP
collaborating center (CC), "seeks to elevate sustainability reporting to the same level of rigor,
comparability, credibility, and verifiability expected of financial reporting, while serving the
information needs of a broad array of stakeholders from civil society, government, labor, and the
private business community itself” (GRI 2002). According to GRI, by 2002, organizations
worldwide had produced about 3000 sustainability, environmental, social and citizenship reports
(GRI 2002). The GRI guidelines include economic, environmental and social indicators.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Adjarala hydroelectric project (Togo-Benin): the
aquatic environment component.
➢ Introduction of Case
The electrical consumption of Togo and Benin has been increasing at the rate of 5 per cent per
year. To satisfy the increasing demand the Nangbeto dam was constructed in
1987. A new dam, the Adjarala dam, was constructed on the Mono River to supplement the
Nangbeto dam in supplying electric power to both Togo and Benin. The sponsors of the Nangbeto
dam required a comprehensive EIA. This box only summarises the aquatic component of the EIA
and is based on the situation as analyzed in 1997-98.
The optimal location of the Nangbeto dam was the Adejalara site halfway between Nangbeto to
the north and the coast, at a point where the river forms part of the border between Togo and Benin.
It is designed to cover 9.500 ha, have a maximum depth of 50 m, and an average turbinated flow
of 40-50 m3.
The Mono River watershed is 20.600 km2 and has a complex system of wetlands mainly made up
of brackish coastal lagoons and flood plains for which it is the main freshwater inflow. The
observed impacts of the Nangbeto dam and its effect in modifying the river-lagoon hydrosystem
provided a good starting point and the reference state to project the environmental impacts of the
Adjarala project. It was possible to predict the potential impacts of the Adjarala project in light of
the observed impacts of the Nangbeto dam.
Specifically, modifications of the fluvial system by the Nangbeto dam reduced fluctuations in the
peaks of water flow; reduced suspended matter but increased ammonia concentrations downstream
from the dam; and increased pollution from irrigation and fertilizer use for cotton cultivation in
the Adjarala watershed, discharges from the TOGOTEX textile factory, and increased urban
effluents from Atkapame (population 42.000). Aquatic fauna and flora were also affected. Some
areas of the estuary were colonized by the water lettuce Pistia stratiotes and the Nangbeto
impoundment supported an informal traditional fishing industry.
➢ Potential impacts of the Adjarala dam project on the aquatic environment as identified by
the EIA.
In carrying out the EIA for the aquatic environment for the Adjarala dam project, two key groups
of impacts were identified related respectively to the hydrosystem downstream from the Adjarala
dam.
Impact on downstream aquatic environments: the development of the Nangbeto dam has already
resulted in very significant modifications to the river’s low-water regime. The commissioning of
the Adjarala dam will not modify the current situation and will therefore not have a significant
impact on the river’s regime, nor on the hydrodynamic and ecological functioning of the lagoons
and wetlands of the lower Mono. The river’s capacity to transport solids will not be modified by
development of the Adjarala dam. However, the supply of sediments by the watershed, already
reduced by the Nangbeto dam, will be reduced further downstream of Adjarala, which will trap
the inflows from the Amou, the last important tributary.
➢ Environmental action plan, “aquatic environments” component.
The EIA recommended a list of environmental action plan activities to both reduce the negative
impacts of the Adjarala project to an acceptable level and mitigate certain persistent impacts of the
Nangbeto dam. The following were the key actions:
a. Partial tree cutting around the impoundment to improve the aesthetics of the impoundment and
the circulation of fishing boats
b. Reduction of discharges from the TOGOTEX factory
c. Control of the proliferation of floating macrophytes to prevent the proliferation of water
hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes) and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) in the hydrosystem.
➢ Monitoring the impacts afterwards and the effectiveness of the plan suggested by the EIA
An environmental monitoring plan was recommended by the EIA to make it possible to verify the
effectiveness of the action plan, and eventually to adapt its methods.
➢ Conclusion
In the area that will be submerged by the reservoir, the Adjarala dam will have the usual impacts
on the aquatic environment, similar to those observed following construction of the Nangbeto dam
in 1987.
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