The European Development Days

Today’s global clothing and textile industry is worth approximately $3 trillion, produces 80 billion garments worldwide every year, and employs about 60 to 75 million people. Clothes now pose a formidable challenge to our planetary boundaries, and solutions are needed at the global level.

As part of this year’s edition of the European Development Days, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), in collaboration with Cittadellarte Fashion B.E.S.T, TÜV Rheinland Group, the Italian Chamber of Fashion and other key actors, organises a brainstorming session to engage the global community in developing an initiative  to detox the textile and apparel industry and support more informed and ethical choices.

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More specifically, the session aims at (1) Discussing practical approaches for encouraging companies in the industry to embrace sustainable business practices, in support of the SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production; (2) Raising awareness as regards production and consumption trends for the clothing and textile, and its environmental and social impacts and long-term consequences; (3) Gathering inputs for the development of trusted, harmonized industry standards, related labels, and certification schemes for traceability and measuring performance; (4) Initiating an effective global partnerships on traceability in the clothing and textile sector. 

Expected outcomes of the session include the development of cutting-edge recommendations for the key stakeholders involved in the clothing and textile industry – brands, retailers, consumers, governments – to tackle and effectively handle the detox process of the industry itself and foster responsible production and consumption patterns.

13:30-13:50 Opening

UNECE, Jean Rodriguez – Head of Communication

Africa Caribbean and Pacific Group of States – Viwanou Gnassounou, Assistant Secretary General

European Commission DG DEVCO – Antti Karhunen, Head of Unit Private Sector Framework and Trade

Danish Fashion Institute / Global Fashion Agenda – Jonas Eder-Hansen, Chief content office

13: 50-13:55 About the session

Moderator - Cittadellarte FASHION B.E.S.T, Paolo Naldini, Director

13:55 – 14:35  Roundtable A – Clothes can be produced sustainably: experiences and good practices

Facilitator: Bocconi University, Francesca Romana Rinaldi, Professor Fashion Management.

Questions for discussion:

What are the key environmental, social and health risks to be addressed in todays’ textile global value chains? What is the role that regulators and the private sector can play? How can they work together?

1.       Can you mention a good practice and/or a challenge? 

2.       Can you give a recommendation? 

France – Mrs Maylis Souque, Secretary General of the French National Contact Point for OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, Directorate General of the Treasury

GUCCI – Rossella Ravagli, Head of CSR

ILO – Daniel Rees, Branch Chief, Better Work 

Italy – Oriana Perrone – CSR Advisor, Ministry of Economic Development 

GIZ Germany – Juergen Janssen, Head of the Secretariat of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles

13:50 – 14:35 Roundtable B – Responsible and Informed Choices: solutions to track and trace sustainability patterns

Facilitators: Cittadellarte FASHION B.E.S.T, Roberto Mollica, Advisor

Questions for discussion:

Which role transparency and consumers’ awareness play in encouraging the fashion industry to embrace more sustainable business practices? How to achieve the full traceability of the textile value chain, including for its environmental, social and health impacts?

1.       Can you mention a good practice and/or challenge? 

2.       Can you give a recommendation (e.g. in terms of regulations, standards, IT applications)?

The Netherlands – Frans van Diepen, National Service for Enterprises, Ministry of Economic Affairs

Italian Chamber of Fashion – Chiara Luisi - Sustainability Officer 

ECOAGE/The Circle – Karis Victoria McLarty,  International Compliance Director

GS1 – Markus Mueller, Director Industry Engagement Apparel & General Merchandise, Global Office

REDA Group – Francesco Goggi, Global Communication Director

International Trade Centre – Simone Cipriani, Chief Ethical Fashion Initiative

13:55 – 14:35 Roundtable C – Standards and certification: a key to scaling up good practice 

Facilitators: TUV Rheinland Group – Rakesh Vazirani, Director

What are the possible approaches for the development of trusted, harmonized industry standards, related labels, and certification schemes for measuring sustainability performance? How to address the issue of proliferation of standards and certification schemes for sustainability performance in the textile industry and avoid unnecessary burdens, particularly for SMEs?

1.       Can you mention a good practice and or a challenge?

2.       Can you give a recommendation?

Rudolf Duraner - Songül Karaaslan Aksu, Chemist 

GS1 – Francesca Poggiali, Public Policy Director Europe, Global Office

14:35 – 14:45 Closing Session

UNECE, Maria Teresa Pisani and Lorenza Jachia, Trade and Economic Cooperation Division: Report on highlights from roundtable discussion