Author, The Conscious Closet and Overdressed | Professor, Columbia University | Independent researcher | Fashion, sustainability, labor rights
Thank you, Reuters, for the opportunity to expand the audience for our recent Transformers Foundation report on how to make #fashion multi-stakeholder initiatives (#MSI) more inclusive of #manufacturers--in order to make them more effective at driving #sustainability. MSIs like Cascale Social & Labor Convergence Program Textile Exchange and ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme are critical to sustainability. Yet, manufacturers often face resource-based constraints to fully and equitably participate in MSIs. Combined with cultural and implicit bias and supply chain power asymmetries, a cycle of exclusion can leave out these critical voices. As I write in the op-ed: "Influential participants risk slanting MSI goals and activities to their benefit, even if they don’t intend to, simply because they have the time, resources and cultural authority to do so. Manufacturers, for example, told us they want more focus within MSIs on harmonising the myriad sustainability standards they’re subject to – and for MSIs to better balance the uneven cost to the supply chain of sustainability standards. These goals would benefit everyone–freeing up substantial resources for improving environmental and social performance amongst factories and producers." We put forward a model of fair and equitable decision-making as a solution. #fairprocess #suppychains #ethicalbusiness Please read the op-ed below and access our full report here: https://lnkd.in/egNGDDyP https://lnkd.in/eyC9B8Bb
