UN & GFA to convene fashion leaders for climate action at COP28 UAE

The assembly features an interactive round table dialogue, bringing together fashion executives, policymakers, and industry experts. Distinguished participants include representatives from GFA, Bestseller, H&M Group, Fair Labor Association, Apparel Impact Institute, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Hirdaramani Group, and Threading Change.

Key discussions will focus on two central themes, which includes reviewing the fashion industry’s advancements towards achieving a net positive impact and exploring collective financing methods within the fashion sector, GFA said in a press release.

This collaboration underscores the commitment of global leaders gathered at COP28 to address climate change challenges. GFA's initiative places the fashion industry at the forefront of the climate dialogue, highlighting its role in sustainable development through various events and announcements at this climate conference.

While the participants and attendees have the opportunity to contribute throughout the session, GFA are welcoming several expert speakers who are allocated to speak on each topic.

The session opens at 16:30 with Federica Marchionni, CEO of GFA, setting the stage. The first part, starting at 16:35, is dedicated to ‘Taking Stock on the Fashion Industry’s Progress towards Net Positive.’ This segment will unveil key insights from the new GFA Monitor, followed by a leadership dialogue and an audience Q&A. Speakers include Ian Ponce from UNFCCC, Nikhil Hirdaramani of Hirdaramani Group, Sophia Yang from Threading Change, Tiffany Rogers at FLA, and Lewis Perkins from AII. Maria Luisa Martinez Diez, GFA's policy director, will moderate, while Holly Syrett, GFA's impact programmes and sustainability director, presents.

Part II, beginning at 17:05, shifts the focus to ‘Collective Financing in the Fashion Industry.’ This section will again feature a leadership dialogue and audience Q&A. The speakers for this part are Dorte Rye Olsen of Bestseller, Radu Gruescu from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Thomas Børglum Jensen also from Bestseller, and Ulrika Leverenz of the H&M Group. Thomas Tochtermann from GFA's Board of Directors will moderate, with Holly Syrett providing another presentation.

The session concludes at 17:40 with closing remarks from Federica Marchionni, reaffirming GFA's commitment to driving sustainable change in the fashion industry.

On the first day of COP28, GFA released the 2023 edition of The GFA Monitor—a report to guide fashion leaders towards a net positive fashion industry, consolidating an abundance of available solutions that can be applied today. The GFA Monitor is an extensive resource that presents expert insights on the status of the industry, clear actions to take, and proven best practices from over 25 industry organisations.

For the first time, the report includes new data insights from the Fashion Industry Target Consultation, drawn from over 900 industry participants in 90 countries.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)