Arquivos Greenwashing - Fashion Label Brasil

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How is the fashion industry measuring ESG?

“Luxury brands are evolving, more than 75% of the top 50 global luxury players are now using eco-friendly materials, while 75% are looking to reduce packaging, use more renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions”, WGSN.

In recent years the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects of business have received increasing attention and companies have been pressured by legal, regulatory, consumer, and employee measures to use their values and culture to drive an ESG agenda.

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Read more about Greenwashing and ESG…

“While it is tempting to view these three ideas separately and seek clear definitions, in reality these concepts often work together, with social issues at the center of the agenda. For example, is health and safety a governance concern because a company is required to meet certain obligations? Is it an environmental issue because an unsafe environment is likely to translate directly into a poor health and safety record? Or is it actually a social issue, since companies have an overall role that is to ensure employees, customers, and society at large are not harmed by their operations?” Drapers.

Companies promote their success, but in doing so, they must consider the interests, views, and concerns of all the parties involved – employees, suppliers, customers, shareholders, and the wider community at large.

The fashion world seems to feature prominently in one área of ESG: diversity and inclusion.

“For example, the FT Diversity Leaders survey that evaluated the views of over 100,000 employees regarding their employers´efforts to promote various aspects of diversity, including gender, openness to all forms of sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, disability and age, found that the top two employers of 850 that were surveyed were Hermès and Giorgio Armani. The consumer-oriented companies outperformed professional services and the financial sector´s companies. Also, out of the top 100 employers, seven were fashion brands,” Drapers.

The industry has also excelled in encouraging certain groups to thrive. However, the success of women and the LGBT Community in fashion can disguise a challenging journey for ethnic groups, older workers, those with disabilities, and people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

Yes, the fashion world is measuring, controlling, and proposing change but the challenges of employee activism, stakeholder’s voices, complex supply chains, and consumer opinion demand continued vigilance and a constant deepening of self-reflection. Creative thinking about how the industry can continue to move forward will be an essential driving force toward positive social change.

Coletivix and Nordetesse, Brazil develops projects based on SDGs and conscious consumption

Coletivix promotes the philosophy of awareness and social, environmental, and economic responsibility in the curation of brands, through the study of the 17 SDGs and the framework of conscious production and consumption. The flagship of the platform are the brands Laura Cangussu, PIU.BRAND, SÄL, and Tropicalina. Read more…

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Nordestesse is a “creative hub that registers, expands, and encourages the production, discussions, and talent of brands and services of entrepreneurs from the northeast region of the country.”

The collaborative platform Nordestesse promotes northeastern traditions and identity by curating products and experiences from the nine states that comprise the region. Brands such as Depredro, Catarina Mina, AM Brazil, and SAU are a part of this curatorship. Read more about the Nordestesse platform…

“Our production network is made up of seamstresses, embroiderers, lacemakers, and crocheters from the hinterlands and coast of the Rio Grande do Norte state, who apply ancestral knowledge and skills from their communities in handmade fashion items, generating social impact in the region and humanizing the processes of the production chain,” Marcus Figueiredo, creative director and CEO of the brand.

GALERIA

The slow fashion brand Depedro represents regionalism and praises the techniques of local communities: crochet, embroidery and traditional laces from the hinterlands.

“We believe in fashion that looks at peoples and their needs, considering that they have an impact on society. We prioritize the humanization of processes in our guidelines and we hope that these Practices reverberate in the world, transforming realities,” Marcus Figueiredo.

The major international movements of the fashion industry

“Changing fashion is not difficult. It is as simple as changing the way that we shop. Keeping clothes that already exist by passing from person to person. Keeping the stories, the culture, the value, the designs, in motion for as long as possible.” – Depop, fashion for a better future.

Depop, a popular website for selling second-hand and original clothing from emerging designers, promotes a global channel of connection in culture, design, and creative communities around the world.

The platform, a wholly owned subsidiary of Etsy – the global marketplace for unique and creative products – presents three main actions of its intensive two-year plan for a new fashion system:

● Make Depop climate neutral by the end of 2021.“Because we are in a climate emergency and we want to do our part.”

● Systematic preference for circular or responsibly made fashion for all brand collaborations. “Because we want to make better fashion options the first choice for everyone. And working with brands with similar visions will help us do this faster.”

● Provide educational resources and mentorship opportunities to help entrepreneurs, creatives or small businesses from underrepresented groups grow their businesses sustainably. “Because it’s time to design a new fashion system. And we want it to reflect as many perspectives as possible.”

“Fashion is a global language – no matter where we are, our clothes always tell a story about who we are – and like language, fashion is constantly changing. It’s time to make this language more than it has been. To let go of what isn’t working and create something with more vibrance, more opportunities, more hope, more care–––something that reflects the way we want to value each other and our home.”

#sustentabilidade #greenwashing #ESG #depop #depedro #nordestesse #coletivx

18.04.22

Greenwashing and ESG

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“While fashion is talking a lot more about sustainability, it’s harder than ever to distinguish between the companies that are actually making a difference and those that are guilty of greenwashing”, Business of Fashion.

ESG – “Environmental, Social, and Governance” – a very popular acronym in current times. It is repeatedly cited in social media, as well as in articles and videos from traditional media. ESG expresses how much and in what way companies present solutions to mitigate its impacts on the environment, build a more responsible world and maintain the best administrative processes possible.

ESG criteria are also used by many investors who prioritize sustainability criteria, that is, investors who are not only looking at financial indicators.

Another topic that is being discussed is the responsibility of brand’s communication, since greenwashing may not only mislead consumers and investors, but also characterize deceptive advertising and fraudulent performance.

Greenwashing greatly impairs decision-making and prevents investments for projects and companies that effectively adopt sustainable measures. Sustainability reports or ESG reports should not be seen merely as marketing or a PR document, but as a true concern for how companies are positioning themselves in the market. This shows how the role of communication is fundamental.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) of the United Kingdom, an important consumer market for Brazilian products, informed The Guardian that it is preparing to disclose the names of large fashion companies in the market, “Consumers are being convinced to pay more for fashion products with big claims of their environmental credentials, but these companies have no evidence to back them up.”

In the same Helena Horton story, the CMA reports that it is investigating allegations from Britain’s fashion industry and will soon have a list of the worst offenders.

UK consumers are estimated to spend £54 billion annually on clothing and footwear, and this is expected to continue to grow for years to come.

“We believe that consumers’ growing demand for green products and their willingness to pay for these products has increased the incentive for companies to be seen as green, whether they are actually green or not,” Cecilia Parker Aranha, the CMA’s director of consumer protection.

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/mar/11/greenwashing-uk-fashion-firms-to-be-named-and-shamed-by-watchdog

No wonder, ESG policies have accelerated changes in stance and governance, positioning, branding, and public relations strategies. Read more about how sustainability has accelerated changes in PR stances and strategies…

What to Look for in Sustainable Fashion Brands

All over the world, markets are defining how brands should redirect their efforts, in a major global push for the change that the industry needs to bring about.

“We’ve worked with Copenhagen Fashion Week and Creative Denmark to understand what it really means to be a responsible brand in the current climate, and what both designers and consumers can do better to look after the planet we call home”, Stine Goya.

“It’s a challenge to navigate through all information that is available for consumers and to make the right choice. Most brands that are wanting to make a change have a yearly responsibility policy document, and so do we. It’s a document that outlines our specific goals and targets for the year. We also release a yearly Responsibility Report, where the progress of the company is measured on different levels”; “Our aim is to be as transparent to our consumers as possible. We are not a 100 per cent responsible brand – and it is not something we claim or should claim to be. We are frank in our approach to what can be managed by our company given our size and are progressive in our aims for the future. But we are determined to become at least 90 per cent sustainable by 2025 and are on track to do so”, Stine Goya, Harpers Bazaar.

#sustentabilidade #greenwashing #ESG #relaçõespúblicas #RP #PR

06.04.22

How has sustainability accelerated change in PR (Public Relations) practices and strategies

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PR professionals face a new challenge: how to position clients in a market where there is increasing demand for responsible products and promotes not only new business opportunities for advertising agencies, but also new responsibilities.

“Two out of three unsolicited calls that we get are about our sustainability practice”; “It’s the fastest-growing thing in the agency. Sustainability-centric roles that open at the firm are ‘some of the fastest things we’ve ever filled’, Carrie Ellen Phillips, co-founder of 22-year-old agency BPCM.

A change in paradigm

It hasn’t always been like this. Erin Allweiss started the company No. 29 Communications in 2013, after spending years working for organizations such as the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Oxfam. In 2015, the show brand Vert joined No. 29.

“It was definitely not easy to talk about sustainable fashion;” “It was such an arduous battle to make it into something attractive and now that it’s cool, I think there is a different problem,” Erin Allweiss.

In other words, fashion is addressing sustainability but now there is much more pressure to distinguish companies that really have a positive impact from those that practice greenwashing (giving a false impression and producing ecologically correct marketing to persuade the public).

“As brands come under increasing pressure from its consumers and market regulators to back up their sustainability claims, some advertising agencies are building expertise in order to stand out – both for fashion brands seeking representation and for journalists seeking PR contacts with reliable sustainable sources,” Business of Fashion.

Marketing that has meaning and the circular economy

The circular economy is already a reality: “Our ways of living and consuming are at stake: knowing and understanding sustainable work broadens our creative perspective. It shows us that transformations can be made through concrete actions, using tools and processes for the development of products and services that respect the environment.

In Brazil, there are some initiatives in this field, and it has already been made clear that a circular approach fosters innovation and brings new meaning to business endeavors, propelling the development of new material and work processes.” Find out more.

Brands such as Vert, Catarina Mina, UMA, Flávia Aranha, Augusta, Dotz, Movin, and Osklen open up their work flow, disclose results, publicly report on the relationship with its collaborators and clearly inform how they choose and certify the origin of the raw materials used in their productions.

The Brazilian brand UMA, which focuses on collaborative creations, connections, and timeless productions created a “younger sister,” UMA X, run by Vanessa Davidowics, daughter of Raquel and Roberto Davidowicz. With genderless pieces, sold only in retail and e-commerce, the brand has more affordable prices and a sustainable proposal. The brand’s name already denotes its collaborative character: the “X” connects to artists and to initiatives that the brand collaborates with.” Forbes.

“We believe in a different kind of fashion, a fashion that is focused on who produces and questioning, rethinking, reflecting, and making decisions based on the collective interest. It is a type of fashion that thrives in a collaborative future, more so than in a competitive environment,” Catarina Mina.

“In a simple and direct way, we seek multiple solutions for a smarter consumption, one that will guide us towards genuinely achieving a good way of living that is cleaner, more functional and more collective. Redefining the concepts of our products and applying a design that minimizes negative impacts are key to our strategy and will always be our aim,” Movin.

Vert invests in research and new technology, presents fair trade and more economically equitable organic raw materials for those who are involved in the productive chain. Find out more…

Veja sneakers are produced in factories and workshops in Brazil, where its organic cotton farms are. Charlotte Lapalus.

Sustainability must be a priority for any brand. Setting concrete goals and objectives is what will actually incorporate new sustainable processes into the companies’ operations. Advisories must be prepared to communicate this message assertively, so that this transparency can reach consumers as a positive thing. In some cases, even mistakes and limitations are strategically exposed to consumers. As Oskar Metsavaht stated when interviewed by a Globo journalist: “One cannot become 100% sustainable all of a sudden.”

[RE] STORE Galeries Lafayette, circular and responsible fashion

The traditional Galeries Lafayette, inaugurated in 1894 as the first department store in Europe on Boulevard Hassmann, with 70 thousand square meters spread into three buildings. The store received approximately 100 thousand visitors daily and 15 thousand square meters are occupied by 3,500 renowned fashion brands.

In yet another movement towards the commitment to building a more responsible and inclusive fashion industry, Galeries Lafayette presented [RE] STORE in 2021, a new space for selling second-hand clothing.

Occupying the premises on the 3^rd floor of the store, the largest and most traditional retailer in Europe features a sector that is entirely dedicated to circular fashion. Its operation is based on partnerships with the main players in the ‘second hand’ segment and engaged creation, including Monogram, Personal Seller, CrushON, Relique, Culture Vintage, Salut Beauté, Patina, etc. It is worth mentioning that the GL concept for ‘responsible product’ follows the protocols of the Go for Good seal, launched in 2018, which indicates less impact on the environment, support for local production and commitment to social development.

Building a responsible business

“The greatest impact of public relations or advertising firms is the work they do for their clients. When you look at your company’s sustainability impact, it’s not the flights you take or the cups you use;” “What matters the most is how people end up buying and consuming as a result of the company’s actions,” Duncan Meisel, co-founder of Clean Creatives, a group that focuses on pressuring public relations agencies to avoid working with fossil fuel companies

The number of communication and PR agencies that refuse clients who are not aligned with a sustainability agenda is increasing globally.

For companies that are new to the concept of sustainability, public relations experience is an important factor to avoid falling into the Greenwash trap. For this reason, many agencies offer public relations and consultancy services.

“We like to regard ourselves as a ‘critical friend’;” “We see PR challenging [customers] instead of celebrating the success of media coverage,” Harriet Vocking, Eco-Age brand director.

Greenwashing and ESG

Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) is an assessment of a company’s collective awareness of social and environmental factors.

The three ESG criteria verify the company’s financial health and profitability, and its social and environmental conscience.

· Environmental: indicates the company’s behavior in relation to environmental problems.

· Social: how the company relates to its employees.

· Governance: corporate and governance policies applied in the company.

There is a direct link between ESG and the responsibility of brand communication, as greenwashing can not only mislead consumers and investors, but also characterize deceptive advertising and fraudulent performance.

Sustainability reports or ESG reports are not just a marketing document or press office, but a public positioning of companies where the role of communication is fundamental. Learn more about ESG.

#Sustentabilidade #RP #PR #PublicRelations #RelaçõesPúblicas #Greenwashing #ESG

06.04.22