Conventional Fashion – a Climate Offender

A total of 8% of global CO₂ emissions can be attributed to the clothing and footwear industry. This is according to a study by Quantis from 2018 – although the figures should be treated with caution, as Alden Wicker, journalist and sustainable fashion activist, repeatedly emphasizes. Caution is needed because the actual environmental impact of fashion is difficult to measure due to its complex production and life cycles. This is a plea to look even more closely and not to forget this industry in the major climate discussions, which in 2016 emitted an estimated 4 million tons of CO₂ into our atmosphere. Conventional fashion, we can all agree, is a climate offender – and we must not lose time in finding green alternatives.

Fashion and its CO₂ Emissions

Where exactly do CO₂ emissions occur in fashion production – and what can we do about it? According to a Greenpeace study, we in Germany buy around 60 items of clothing per person per year. It is easy to imagine that a considerable amount of carbon dioxide is generated in the value chain of these masses of clothing alone. For example, the production of new polyester is incredibly CO₂-intensive. And the fineness of the yarn and its processing also determine the level of CO₂ emissions. The finer the yarn, the higher, for example, the emissions during the spinning process. Significant emission sources also include the dyeing process and the finishing of a textile, as well as the generally energy-intensive production, which is still too rarely powered by renewable energy sources. The long logistics routes, which now extend across the entire globe, then cause the energy balance of a garment to soar to immense heights.

How Sustainable Fashion Counteracts Climate Change

First and foremost, we can help by changing our purchasing behavior: consume less, and when buying new clothes, look for brands that already produce sustainably. This includes visible differences in production, such as the use of green electricity or efficient resource utilization.

For comparison: a garment made from recycled polyester already reduces its CO₂ footprint by more than 30 percent. But shortened transport routes, with the processing steps of a garment located as close as possible to each other, can also have a major impact on the CO₂ footprint of a T-shirt.

As a fashion label, we see it as our absolute responsibility to act: The total CO2 emissions of LANIUS are therefore recorded and offset through investments in climate protection projects.

In cooperation with experts from ClimatePartner, we annually determine the CO2 emissions of our company's business activities and the production of our entire collection, and offset these through a climate protection project.

Through this emissions offset, we give back to our Earth what we take from it as a producer and fashion label elsewhere. By offsetting our emissions, we support, for example, rainforest protection projects and the promotion of renewable energies.

We are continuously working on reducing our CO2 footprint and on the sustainable development of our company and our products.

If greenhouse gases cannot be avoided or reduced, only offsetting them remains an option. To do this, the amount of emissions generated by a specific activity – for example, a flight or the production of a product – is first calculated.

The compensation itself then takes place via certificates, which precisely offset the resulting amount of emissions through climate protection projects.

Companies and individuals can purchase these certificates from providers such as ClimatePartner. The purchase of the certificates finances the climate protection projects. The benefit of the projects is regularly checked and thus ensured by independent quality standards.