Candiani Denim is expert advisor in the UNECE garment industry project

UNECE’s “Accelerating action for a sustainable and circular garment and footwear industry, through transparency and traceability of value chains” is a three-year project aimed at enhancing transparency and traceability across garment and footwear industry value chains. From its very beginning in 2019, Candiani Denim has taken part as an expert advisor.

How is the garment and footwear sector (not) sustainable?

The garment and footwear sector is among the least sustainable in the world, and its enormous environmental footprint poses significant risks to human health and society. Its value chain is particularly complex and often very difficult to identify where such negative effects are and, as a result, to adopt the necessary actions.

In the future, the most recent fast-fashion trends and the increasing demand in emerging economies are expected to make the negative impacts of the garment and footwear industry on the environment, human health, and working conditions even worse.

UNECE, together with its United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and e-Business (UN/CEFACT), has then engaged with a number of garment and footwear industry stakeholders, including Candiani Denim, to identify both its challenges and opportunities.

UNECE is the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. It was established in 1947 by ECOSOC, the United Nations Economic and Social Council, to promote pan-European economic integration. 56 countries located in Europe, North America, and Asia are UNECE members, but any United Nations member state can contribute to UNECE’s work if interested.

Transparency and traceability are the priorities of the fashion industry

Transparency and traceability of the fashion value chain have been identified by the key actors of the garment and footwear industry as a priority. The aim is to enhance consumer trust, manage resources and relations with all business partners more effectively to discover and address potential labor and human rights violations and harmful environmental impacts, and combat reputational risks. At the same time, the idea is to promote more responsible consumption and production methods, circularity, and inclusive development.

Many companies lack a clear view of their business partners’ networks across the entire value chain and are unaware of the full story behind their final products. Most of them can point out only their immediate suppliers, but they lose information about those further upstream.

The purposes of UNECE’s project align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8 and 12. As explained by the United Nations, SDG 8 is to “promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all,” while SDG 12 is to “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.”

What are UNECE’S transparency and traceability project goals?

Over the period 2019-2022, the UNECE transparency and traceability project aims to establish a policy recommendation and dialogue platform, develop traceability standards and implementation guidelines, and drive blockchain pilots and capacity-building initiatives.

“The Sustainability Pledge” has also been launched as part of UNECE’s work. It is an invitation to governments, garment and footwear manufacturers, and all stakeholders to pledge to comply with the commission’s measures and to improve the industry’s environmental and ethical standards.