News Articles Introducing the GFA Monitor 2024

Introducing the GFA Monitor 2024

November 07, 2024

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The GFA Monitor 2024 urges the fashion industry to align business strategies with holistic sustainability targets for a resilient future

 

7 November 2024: Today, on the occasion of Global Fashion Summit: Shanghai Gala 2024, Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) announced the 2024 edition of The GFA Monitor — a resource designed to guide industry leaders towards creating a net positive fashion industry. Launched ahead of COP29, this year’s publication serves as a streamlined update, highlighting both significant advancements and ongoing challenges in the industry.

 

The GFA Monitor 2024 is produced by Global Fashion Agenda in partnership with its Impact Partners — Apparel Impact Institute, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Fair Labor Association, Social & Labor Convergence Program, and Textile Exchange. The guide consolidates diverse stakeholder perspectives and data inputs into a comprehensive resource that reinforces the urgency of aligning environmental and social goals with business imperatives.

 

The publication showcases progress across key areas, including:

  • In 2023, nearly 30% of all cotton produced was done so under sustainability programs.
  • A 14% increase in survey respondents claim to have set targets for fair compensation and living wages through collective bargaining by 2035.
  • An overall rise in awareness and target setting in line with the five priorities of the Fashion CEO Agenda.

 

However, the report also acknowledges persistent challenges, including:

  • Companies remain uncertain about prioritising their efforts amidst pressure to meet economic and reporting demands.
  • Wage increases remain minimal, with a reported 1% increase in the gap between minimum and living wages since 2023.
  • Survey results suggest that target setting across all five resource stewardship indicators has increased, with the greatest rise (59%) focused on water stewardship by 2040. However, fewer respondents are actively working on these targets or measuring progress.

 

The report draws on new insights from the Fashion Industry Target Consultation, a collaborative project by GFA and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). This initiative annually evaluates industry sentiment on key milestones needed to achieve a net positive fashion industry. This year, 100 stakeholders from across six continents contributed to the consultation, focusing on 27 critical action areas.

Federica Marchionni ● CEO, Global Fashion Agenda
"The GFA Monitor 2024 reinforces COP29’s core themes: enhancing ambition and enabling tangible action. As climate threats, geopolitical challenges, and scepticism towards sustainability intensifies, the industry must rethink its strategies to adapt swiftly while nurturing long-term resilience. I urge leaders to utilise the practical steps, tools, programmes, and proven best practices outlined in this report and its previous edition to foster a sustainable, equitable, and transparent fashion ecosystem."

Words from The GFA Monitor’s Impact Partners:

Janet Mensink ● Executive Director, Social & Labor Convergence Program
"2023 SLCP assessments showed a 5% increase in social and labour legal non-compliances, demonstrating the importance of keeping Respectful and Secure Work Environments high on the agenda."
Tiffany Rogers ● Director of Innovation and Development, Manufacturing, Fair Labor Association
"Working together, we can and will end poverty-level wages for garment workers. Establishing industry targets for 2035 is a step forward; now we must prioritise measuring progress toward living wages."
Lewis Perkins ● President, Apparel Impact Institute
"With 2030 approaching, the industry must swiftly deploy decarbonisation programs, tools, and equipment, ensuring measurable, verified year-over-year carbon reductions across the value chain to meet targets."
Jules Lennon ● Fashion Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
"To create a thriving fashion industry we need to fundamentally transform the way we design, make, and ultimately enjoy our clothes. In order to truly challenge conventional linear models at scale – and for a circular economy for fashion to become the norm – we must accelerate efforts that not only redesign the products of the future, but also the services and business models that deliver them and keep them in use."
Sarah Needham ● Textile Exchange, Senior Director of Engagement and Partnerships
"We are committed to driving materials transformation at tier four. Scaling of preferred production systems such as textile-to-textile recycling, regenerative agriculture, and investing in equitable partnerships are essential to achieving climate and nature targets and building resilient systems that respect resources and people.
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Download The GFA Monitor 2024  here. Stay updated on Global Fashion Agenda’s latest insights and initiatives at globalfashionagenda.org.

 

To register to receive The GFA Monitor 2024 translated into Chinese, please sign up here.

 

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