Transparency

An implicit element of traceability is transparency, i.e. sharing relevant information about the product and the processes needed to make it, to all the actors involved, in a clear, accessible and standardized way. This means to share clear and comparable data, rather than generic claims of sustainable approaches, better if supported by a certification issued by an external reliable institute. For example, certifications, documentation of the percentage of specific sustainable materials contained in the product, measurement of Product Enviromental Footprint, the CO2 footprint report.

Presenting the information in a standardized form supports common understanding, accessibility, clarity and comparison, and fosters credible communication towards consumers and the public.

Transparency is not to be confused with sustainability. However, without transparency, achieving a sustainable and fair fashion industry will be impossible.

Marina Romana Rinaldi states that key actors in the industry have identified how “the public disclosure of credible, comprehensive, and comparable information about fashion’s supply chains, business practices and impacts on workers, communities and the environment is crucial to driving systemic change. Transparency enables investors, lawmakers, journalists, NGOs, trade unions, workers, and their representatives to hold brands and retailers to account by:

• Scrutinizing what companies say they are doing to address human rights and protect the environment,
• Holding brands and retailers accountable for their policies and practices, which is especially important when things go wrong, like they did when Rana Plaza collapsed,
• Collaborating to cease, mitigate, prevent and remedy environmental and human rights abuses,
• Collaborating to share strategies and best practice on these issues “.[1]

At the end of March 2022, the European Commission approved the European Strategy for Sustainable Textiles, with the aim of reducing the negative environmental and social impact of products during their life cycle and making the information needed to make informed purchasing choices more accessible. The regulation also envisages for the future a digital passport for textile products, which would allow information about the product, such as materials, supply chain but also disposal, to be recorded and shared with companies, authorities and consumers . To bring this initiative to fruition, the textile labelling regulation will also be reviewed.

[1] Francesca Romana Rinaldi, Fashion Industry 20230, Reshaping the future through sustainability and responsible innovation, p.21