Fashion’s Carbon Footprint Jumps for the First Time Since 2019, Says Apparel Impact Institute

The fashion industry’s environmental reckoning just got a little more urgent. According to the Apparel Impact Institute’s latest Taking Stock of Progress report, global apparel-related greenhouse gas emissions surged by 7.5% in 2023, marking the first annual increase since climate tracking began in 2019. For a sector already criticised for its excesses, this is a wake-up call, not a mere footnote.

The raw numbers are hard to ignore: 944 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent pumped into the atmosphere. That’s nearly 2% of total global emissions. However, beyond the math lies a more damning reality: this trajectory puts the industry further off course from its already lofty ambition to halve emissions by 2030. If 2023 is any indication, that goal is becoming more fiction than forecast.

So what’s fueling this regression? Two culprits lead the charge. First: the breakneck pace of ultra-fast fashion, which continues to crank out new styles at the speed of a TikTok trend. Second: an escalating reliance on virgin polyester, a fossil-fuel-derived material that now accounts for a staggering 57% of global fibre production. Recycled alternatives exist, but their impact remains minimal, their adoption lethargic.

Still, not all the news is grim. A subset of forward-looking brands and suppliers is forging a different path—one marked by decarbonisation, renewable energy, and accountability. H&M, Puma, Inditex, and Fast Retailing (parent of Uniqlo) are slashing their Scope 1 and 2 emissions through solar adoption, coal phase-outs, and factory upgrades. Notably, H&M claims a 23% reduction in Scope 3 emissions from 2019 to 2024, a notable feat, given that Scope 3 typically encompasses the most challenging-to-abate sources.

On the manufacturing side, heavyweight suppliers are stepping up their efforts. Artistic Milliners has pledged $100 million to renewable energy infrastructure. Shenzhou Group reports a 24% drop in direct emissions since 2022. Elevate Textiles? A 35% cut since 2019. These are not token gestures, they’re tectonic shifts, albeit still isolated.

“While it’s encouraging to see progress across the value chain, with meaningful case studies from both brands and suppliers, this data is a stark reminder of how far we still must go as an industry,” said Lewis Perkins, President of Aii. “The good news is we don’t have to start from scratch. Resources, initiatives, funding, and partnerships are available to support every part of the fashion ecosystem.”

What the Aii report ultimately makes clear is this: We’re at the halfway mark of what many call the “climate decade,” and time is not on the industry's side. Scaling circular materials, abandoning coal, and fully transitioning to renewable energy isn’t optional, it’s existential. But for a business model built on relentless newness, mass production, and planned obsolescence, the road to reinvention may require more than a pivot. It may demand a redesign from the ground up.