The Social Issues Facing the Fashion Industry
Solely acknowledging the environmental degradation associated with many fashion industry practices is insufficient. Without addressing the deeply embedded social issues interwoven with its operations, any vision of sustainability remains incomplete. Sustainability must be understood in all its nuance.
Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, ‘intersectionality’ captures the multifaceted nature of identity and the intersecting forms of injustice individuals face. This lens helps us recognise how systems of inequality in fashion – whether racial, gender-based, economic, or otherwise – affect communities in profoundly different ways. These inequities often go unchallenged, leaving historically marginalised groups exposed to ongoing harm. A truly sustainable fashion industry must therefore be anti-discriminatory, equitable, and rooted in dignity and respect for all.
More sustainable business operations have the power to positively impact the everyday lives of millions of people. Today the industry is also faced with a new generation of values-driven consumers, demanding transparency, ethics, and accountability across the supply chain.
Global Fashion Agenda’s Fashion CEO Agenda framework presents five socio-environmental priorities that offer a roadmap towards real change. The interconnected nature of fashion means that across every priority there are possible social repercussions. Below, we explore why these pillars are essential for fashion’s future.
In order to keep up with the pace of industry demand whilst remaining conscious of costs, supply chain operations often outsource production to low and middle-income countries. These communities are in many cases the most vulnerable and least resourced and in turn, end up shouldering the environmental and social toll of consumption habits in wealthier nations. In fact, an estimated 80% of environmental impacts generated by Europe’s textile consumption takes place outside Europe.
An estimated 300 million workers sustain the USD 1.7 trillion fashion industry. Yet protections for these workers are far from universal. Informal arrangements such as subcontracting and homeworking can offer flexibility but often come at the expense of basic safeguards, leaving workers more vulnerable to exploitation, including forced labour. As climate change intensifies, exposing workers to extreme heat and unsafe conditions, the need for comprehensive social protection becomes even more urgent.
Guaranteeing safe workplaces and worker wellbeing fosters not only economic and social development but also greater resilience across communities.
Establishing better wage systems is a foundational step towards a fairer fashion industry. While brands may not directly pay garment workers, they hold significant influence through their purchasing practices. Fair compensation and living wages can be promoted by committing to responsible sourcing, covering increased wage costs, and supporting collective bargaining and accountability frameworks.
The latest data from The Industry We Want reveals a 41% wage gap, reflecting an 8.5% decrease from 2024. Encouraging as this may be, workers are still not earning enough to meet basic living standards. In major garment producing regions such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Turkey, inflation continues to outpace wage growth, exacerbating economic vulnerability.
An industry committed to equity must prioritise narrowing the wage gap and ensure that the people powering fashion’s success are not left behind.
Fashion is a voracious consumer of Earth’s finite resources and a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change is without a doubt the defining crisis of our time – and one its most devastating impacts, disaster displacement, is already unfolding. Those in high-risk, low-resource countries are especially vulnerable, with many living in “climate hotspots” where adaptation options are limited.
The year 2024 was the hottest on record, marked by extreme weather events that claimed lives, razed infrastructure, and displaced over 800,000 people, the highest annual total since records began. Up to 3.6 billion people, nearly half of the global population, live in areas that are acutely vulnerable to climate impacts. The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report makes it clear: the degree to which people are affected by climate change is shaped by inequities stemming from marginalisation, colonialism, and governance.
Fashion’s environmental footprint has direct human consequences. Resource stewardship must therefore be both ecological and humanitarian in focus.
The materials used in fashion production carry serious implications for ecosystems, workers, and consumers alike.
Clothing is a major source of microplastic pollution, with the washing of synthetic fibres, such as polyester causing up to 35 per cent of all plastic microfibre pollution in the oceans. On average, people inhale or ingest between 74,000 and 121,000 microplastic particles each year through breathing, eating, and drinking, which can occur from wearing clothing that contains plastic. Humans are ingesting microplastics at higher levels than previously thought, with these particles infiltrating major organs and releasing harmful chemical additives.
Textile production facilities also expose nearby communities to dangerous pollutants including suspended particulate matter, PFAs, sulphur dioxide gas, heavy metals, fertilisers, and pesticides, often without adequate regulation. Wastewater from textile dyeing and finishing is frequently left untreated and hazardous, contaminating waterways and contributing to health crises.
Research shows that certain communities are disproportionately impacted by these pollutants. In the United States for example, Black, Hispanic, Asian people, and People of Colour, are exposed to higher levels of harmful air pollution, regardless of income.
A shift towards safer, regenerative materials and processes is crucial for protecting both people and the planet.
Global fibre production reached an all-time high of 124 million tonnes in 2023, straining dwindling virgin resources. In the United Kingdom alone, 23 million garments end up in landfills or incinerated each year.
The accelerating pace of trend cycles exacerbates this waste crisis, particularly in the Global South, where much of the discarded clothing ends up. In many places, low-wage workers sort through these garments to recover value. Unsold textiles clog waterways and public spaces, creating environmental hazards in communities already lacking waste infrastructure. In Accra’s Kantamanto Market, for example, an estimated 40% of imported clothing becomes waste, reflecting a deeply imbalanced global system rooted in colonial patterns of trade and disposal.
A truly circular fashion system holds the potential to improve working conditions by reducing harmful inputs and creating opportunities for upskilling. However, this shift must include investment in worker training and social support to ensure a just and inclusive transition.
By embracing bold action and leveraging resources such as the Fashion CEO Agenda framework and The GFA Monitor, the fashion industry can catalyse a global network committed to justice, sustainability, and human dignity. Going forward, fashion must predicate growth on flourishing both environmentally and socially.
The cost of inaction has surpassed the cost of transformation. A fashion industry that protects its workers and respects the environment is not only more ethical, but also more resilient, more innovative, and better equipped to navigate the future.
This article is a contribution from Next Gen Assembly 2024 Member, Harry Vine.
To mark the launch of Global Fashion Agenda’s Upstream Circularity Podcast, we break down some of the key definitions discussed in the three-part limited series.
Today, Global Fashion Agenda has launched the Upstream Circularity Podcast. This limited three-part series explores the technical innovations, systemic shifts, and real-world solutions shaping the future of textile recycling.
