sustainability / Greenwashing

The investigation into whether Dior misled consumers about working conditions at its suppliers concluded without finding any wrongdoing, after Dior made a number of commitments to tighten up its controls and communication.

In a challenging market, a generation of brands that helped pioneer 'sustainable fashion' are shifting their sales pitch, letting design, not values, do the talking.

The soap maker said the integrity of the B Corp standard has become compromised and that its rules are letting firms greenwash.

In a climate where consumers are wary of greenwashing and a backlash against “woke capitalism” takes shape, brands peddling sustainability messaging have to treat the topic with a degree of irreverence and put the product first.

A backlash against complex and costly new rules is threatening Europe’s pioneering efforts to make the industry operate more responsibly. Failure to address valid criticisms risks undermining the whole endeavour, argues Kenneth P. Pucker.

This year offered up a jarring reality check for players seeking to improve the industry’s environmental and social impact, with brands deprioritising sustainability efforts even as the risks of inaction have become more apparent.

A fragmented fashion industry needs to cooperate in order to avoid falling further behind on decarbonisation efforts, according to the BoF-McKinsey State of Fashion 2025.

Financial and political volatility are having a chilling effect on the industry’s environmental efforts. But failure to act now will bring bigger risks in the future, writes Kenneth P. Pucker.