Sustainability and fashion jargon

This is a guide where you will find a glossary of sustainable fashion words, acronyms, and fundamental concepts that will help you better understand and navigate the fashion industry.

It is equally crucial for companies, entrepreneurs, and government organizations to be familiar with these concepts in order to align their sustainability and circular economy strategies appropriately.

Concepts that will help you better understand sustainable fashion:

GHG emissions

Green House Gas emissions

It refers to the release of gases into the atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming. These gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and fluorinated gases, trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to increased temperatures and climate change.

GHG emissions are primarily caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels for energy, deforestation, industrial processes, and agricultural practices. The accumulation of these emissions in the atmosphere amplifies the natural greenhouse effect, resulting in changes to the Earth’s climate patterns and a range of environmental impacts.

Related words:

• Climate neutral: It refers to achieving a balance where net greenhouse gas emissions are equal to or less than the amount that is removed through the Earth’s natural absorption.
• Climate positive: It means that, in addition to reducing carbon emissions, efforts are made to remove additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

CCF

Corporate Carbon Footprint

It refers to the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), associated with the activities and operations of a company or corporation.

The CCF is calculated by considering both direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions generated by a company, including emissions from energy production, transportation, business operations, and the supply chain. Measuring the CCF helps companies understand and assess their environmental impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

Related words:

• Carbon neutral: To achieve carbon neutrality (or net zero), a company must offset carbon emissions by removing as much carbon from the atmosphere as it emits. But, be careful! However, offsetting (carbon credits etc.) lets you keep a business precisely the same while it looks better on paper.
  

ESG

Environmental, Social, and Governance

Environmental, social, and corporate governance, also known as environmental, social, governance, is a set of criteria used to assess and measure a company’s performance in terms of its environmental, social, and corporate governance impacts.

ESG metrics are used to evaluate a company’s performance from a broader perspective than just financial aspects.

SDG’s

Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of goals established by the United Nations (UN) to address global challenges and promote sustainable development worldwide. There are 17 interconnected objectives covering social, economic, and environmental aspects.

CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility

It is a way of managing companies that takes into account the impact generated by their activities, both on their employees or stakeholders and in the social, economic, or environmental spheres.

It aims to promote ethical and sustainable business practices, contribute to social development, improve people’s quality of life, and preserve the environment.

IPCC

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

It is a scientific group convened by the United Nations. Its main function is to comprehensively, objectively, and transparently analyze scientific, technical, and socioeconomic information relevant to understanding climate change.

The IPCC does not conduct its own research, but rather reviews and assesses existing scientific literature that covers the natural, economic, and social aspects of climate change, including its impacts and potential response options.The key findings are compiled into ​“Assessment Reports” that serve as valuable resources for policymakers and the general public.

Degrowth

A movement towards reducing production and consumption levels within an economy in order to operate within the limits of our planet, with the goal of preserving natural resources and minimizing environmental damage.

Closed-loop economy

Is an economic model in which no waste is generated. Everything is shared, repaired, reused, or recycled. Instead of seeing stuff as ​“waste,” it becomes into a valuable resource for the creation of something new.

Related word:

• Circularity: Clothes made from reused materials that can be reused, repaired and recycled repeatedly – in a circle.
  
  However, in reality, circularity is mainly applied to clothing that incorporates recycled (or downcycled) materials, resulting in the absence of retained value in the garments. In order to achieve true circularity, a viable end-of-life solution must be implemented, such as take-back programs, to guarantee that the product will undergo recycling once again.

Regenerative

Regenerative fashion involves practices that give back more to the planet than they take. It focuses on regenerative agriculture to reverse climate change, restore biodiversity, reduce carbon emissions, and improve the water cycle. The entire value chain, including dyeing and transportation, should also have a positive impact on nature.

Upcycling (on clothes)

Upcycling is the process of transforming clothing, fabrics, or industrial waste materials into a new product or garment. With Upcycling the material is given added value in its new use compared to the old product. In Recycling the product has the same value as before the recycling process.

Here are some brand that use upcycled materials

Organic

Organic fibers or clothes, refer to fibers that are produced without the use of synthetic chemicals, pesticides, petroleum-based materials or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Here are some organic brands 

Greenwashing

When greenwashing, companies (intentionally or unintentionally) make themselves come across as greener or more sustainable than they actually are. They can do this by making false or incomplete claims, unsupported by evidence. Or by simply leaving out crucial parts of information and zooming in on the little sustainable activities that they do, like using recycled packaging or launching a sustainable collection while still overproducing (the unsustainable clothing).

Would you like to continue expanding your knowledge on sustainability? Keep reading!

Scope 1, 2, 3 emissions

Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions are a classification system used to categorize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on their sources and responsibilities within an organization’s activities.

• Scope 1 emissions: These are direct GHG emissions produced by a company from sources that are owned or controlled by the company. For example while running its boilers and vehicles.
• Scope 2 emissions: These are indirect GHG emissions generated from the consumption of purchased electricity, heat, or steam by a company. These emissions occur outside the company’s boundaries but are associated with its activities.
• Scope 3 emissions: These are indirect GHG emissions that occur as a result of a company’s activities but are outside its operational control. For example, from raw material extraction, from buying products from its suppliers, from product transportation, and from its products when customers use them. Emissions-wise, Scope 3 is nearly always the big one.

Tier 1, 2, 3, 4 of the fashion supply chain

Fashion brands generally do not produce the clothing they sell themselves but have their products made by a variety of manufacturers that are specialized in different aspects of the manufacturing process.

These complex and often intercontinental supply chain processes that involve different stages of production are described in a tier system. In these tiered supply chains, Tier 2 companies supply companies in Tier 1, while Tier 3 companies supply Tier 2, and so forth.

• Tier 1: Garment production
  These are the facilities where finished goods are made and shipped from. Here all the components are sent to and assembled into the final product as we know them. Most brands and retailers have direct business relationships with these suppliers. These are also sometimes referred to as Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM).

• Tier 2: Fabric finishing
  In textile factories, mills and tanneries the processed materials are turned into the fabrics that can be used for assembly. Printing, dying, laundering and embroidery are part of this tier of the suppy chain.

• Tier 3: Yarn spinners and fiber processors
  These are the textile production sites where spinning, knitting and weaving take place and raw materials are turned into fibers. Yarns are spun, dyes and bleach are applied in wet processes and animals are slaughtered for their hides.

• Tier 4: Raw material suppliers
  Every product starts with raw materials. These can be farms, livestock farms, cotton plantations or any other supplier of raw materials.

Through this guide of words and concepts, we aim to establish a shared language that serves us to reflect on the future of the fashion industry and sustainability.

We hope it becomes a useful tool for anyone wishing to delve into the fascinating world of sustainable fashion!

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