EU's Green Deal Textile Criteria: Fast Fashion Lobby Risks Greenwashing

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has been assigned by the European Union to develop voluntary sustainability standards for textile manufacturers, aligning with the European Green Deal's goal of achieving a 55% reduction in emissions by 2030. Despite Italy accounting for 45% of the EU's textile market, there is no Italian representation in the SAC, which is primarily influenced by fast fashion giants such as Inditex, H&M, and Nike. A report from the European Parliament in May 2023 highlighted that global textile production nearly doubled between 2005 and 2015, while usage plummeted by 36%. Textiles are the fourth largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with 73% sourced from nations with lax regulations. The sector is grappling with challenges from COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and inflation, employing 1.3 million workers across 143,000 SMEs.