17 September  |  12:00-12:30 ICT

From Exclusion to Inclusion: Busting Fashion Just Transition Myth

Organized by:

• Business and Human Rights Resource Centre

Background

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The world is in the midst of a climate emergency. Global temperatures continue to rise, extreme weather events are intensifying, and greenhouse gas emissions remain dangerously high. Immediate action is needed across all sectors to limit warming and protect both people and the planet. Decarbonisation has become a central focus for governments, investors, and civil society, with urgent demands for measurable targets, transparency, and accountability.

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The fashion and textile industry is a major contributor, responsible for 4–8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, producing roughly 1.2 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year. Emissions are concentrated in supply chains, from raw material production to manufacturing and transport. This has led to growing pressure on fashion brands to set ambitious decarbonisation targets and demonstrate leadership in climate action.

The widely held assumption, the myth, is that fashion brands are at least discussing a just transition. Many observers believed that, at least on paper, brands were acknowledging the centrality of workers in decarbonization, recognising their labour rights, consulting trade unions, and providing guidance and support to suppliers who face the financial and operational burden of reducing emissions. The myth implies that, even if implementation was uneven, companies were signalling respect for worker rights, fair treatment, and the critical role of workers in ensuring a transition that is not only environmentally sustainable but socially just across global supply chains.

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Yet the reality is stark and deeply concerning. Workers, who power factories and production lines, are systematically excluded from decarbonisation planning, while suppliers are forced to shoulder the financial burden alone. Workers’ rights to participate in decisions affecting their employment, safety, and livelihoods are ignored, and trade unions are rarely engaged meaningfully. Suppliers under pressure to meet emissions targets without support are often compelled to compromise on wages, working hours, and conditions, undermining both human rights and long-term climate goals. The myth that brands are even talking about a just transition collapses in the face of this reality.

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This session will confront that myth head-on, presenting evidence from the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre’s Missing Thread report and opening a frank discussion about what meaningful worker engagement, supplier support, and rights-based approaches to decarbonisation would actually look like. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of the gap between rhetoric and reality, and the critical labour rights issues at stake in the global fashion industry’s transition to a low-carbon future.

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Key Objectives

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• Debunk the Myth: Highlight the stark contrast between what is assumed on paper and the lived reality for workers and suppliers in the fashion supply chain.

• Elevate Worker Rights: Bring labour rights to the forefront, demonstrating how exclusion from decarbonisation planning undermines workers’ participation, safety, livelihoods, and collective bargaining rights.

• Expose Supplier Pressures: Show how suppliers, left without support, face impossible choices that can compromise wages, working hours, and conditions, threatening both human rights and long-term climate goals.

• Stimulate Critical Discussion: Encourage participants to question the industry’s claims, reflect on the human cost of climate targets, and strategise on what meaningful engagement and support could look like.

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Guiding Questions

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• How are workers and trade unions being excluded from decarbonisation planning, and what are the consequences for labour rights on the ground?

• What pressures do suppliers face when expected to meet emissions targets without support, and how does this affect workers and human rights?

• How can industry stakeholders move beyond rhetorical commitments and ensure that climate transitions are truly just and worker-centred?

• What accountability mechanisms or approaches could meaningfully integrate workers’ voices into climate action planning?

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Format

• This will be an interactive myth-busting session where findings are presented, followed by expert and participant discussion. The focus is on uncovering realities, stimulating debate, and generating critical insights, rather than producing immediate solutions. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of the gap between rhetoric and reality and actionable reflections to take back to their organisations.

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Session Partners