Textile and Apparel Sector Emission Expected to Reach 9.5% of Global Emissions by 2030

2024-04-26 10:34:06 Industry

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Even if leading players meet their climate commitments, textile and apparel sectoral emissions from production are quite likely to increase in this decade. The manufacturing and sale of textile goods and clothing, generate 2.5 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. This represents 7.25% of total man-made emissions presently and is expected to reach 9.5% by 2030.

These findings are presented in the Briefing of the Textile and Apparel Sector by cKinetics, which aims to identify solutions to reduce emissions. The study provides a framework to analyze the entire production value chain and brings granularity on the key levers to move.

Increasing consumer demand for textile goods and clothing; as well as increasing use of polyester are the factors contributing most to the increase.

?This is an important sector that is intertwined with everyone?s daily lives and its value chain employs over 400 million people globally?, commented Rekha Rawat, Associate Director of the Sustainable Industries practice at cKinetics, ?And the sector?s highest impact is concentrated in emerging economies. Hence there are several interlinked components?.

The briefing finds that 165 companies across the globe and across the production value-chain (from fiber all the way to product) generate and influence 608 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions (or about 24% of the sector?s emissions).

In the last few years, 56 of the companies have set climate goals and shared details on them. However, these goals are not sufficient as per the analysis and more companies would have to step up.

Hard to abate?
Global GHG emissions level increased by 26 % in the last decade whereas the GHG emissions level due to textile sector increase by 42% in the last decade.

In the upcoming ?decisive? decade of the climate change fight, the global emissions are expected to increase by 5% while the emissions due to textile sector are expected to increase by 30% during the same time period.

Textile and Apparel sector contributed to 5.23% of total global GHG emissions in 2010 which increased to 7.25% in 2020; and expected to reach 9.5% by 2030.

Title inspiration
The title of the report was inspired by Greta Thunberg?s address at the Youth4Climate in Sep 2021. Her message was that that there has been lots of talk (blah blah blah) and little action.

The briefing is based on the analysis of commitments (talk) of several hundred players in the textile and apparel sector. And tracks the impact, assuming they get converted to action

Tailwinds that could accelerate decarbonization
The briefing outlines 6 levers that leaders in the sectors can take advantage of in the near term to bring emissions under control.

About cKinetics
cKinetics is a global Sustainability advisory firm. We are a team of specialists across multiple disciplines who have come together to develop solutions that are sustainable for the planet and are profitable. Our approach continues to be driven with the belief that we are in the midst of a changing economic order both on the production and consumption front that will necessitate the emergence of a Sustainability Economy.