Fashion’s climate emissions increased almost 14% over two years

The fashion industry’s greenhouse gas emissions climbed in 2023 and 2024 due in part to increased global production of fiber, especially polyester, according to a new report by the Apparel Impact Institute.

Apparel-sector emissions rose 6.3% in 2024, following an increase of 7.5% the previous year; the year prior to that, emissions declined slightly. 2024 is the most recent year for which the institute has data.

Fashion emissions that year were roughly 1 gigaton — about the same as the entire climate footprint of Japan.

“The trend is one that’s quite concerning,” said Kurt Kipka, chief impact officer at the institute, a nonprofit that aims to improve sustainability within fashion. “It is a clear sign of increased usage of materials.”

He highlighted cost as a significant hurdle for the industry in its efforts to decarbonize. Virgin polyester continues to be cheaper and more available than recycled material, he said.

Now, as volatility caused by the Iran war is driving up energy prices, Kipka said it shows the need for clothing producers to look to alternatives to oil and gas. “That’s where renewable energy sources and onsite battery storage become a more attractive proposition,” he said.

The sector faces a 34% drop in profits by 2030, the institute found in separate research, with supply-chain disruptions and higher operating expenses unless companies act quickly to rein in their carbon pollution.

Fashion can point to some successes: The number of apparel companies that have approved science-based climate targets or committed to set them rose from about 100 at the end of 2021 to more than 700 as of this June. Major brands have reported double-digit reductions in their emissions and have ramped up the share of recycled fiber they use in garments, the report finds.

Even so, businesses in the sector have walked back green commitments amid political changes and inflation pressures. Earlier this year, Burberry delayed for a decade its previous goal to reach net zero by 2040.