The G7 Fashion Pact: Making sustainability business as usual, but not just for CEOs

Today at the G7 summit in Biarritz, Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault will present the ‘Fashion Pact’ to Emmanuelle Macron - the first time fashion will appear on the agenda at a G7 summit and signed by 30 fashion industry CEOs.

The pact represents around 150 of the world’s biggest brands from across the spectrum of high street to luxury, and will include definitive targets and specific deadlines.

Admirable leadership from the industry’s decision makers - yes. But what does this mean for the everyday business of fashion? Vogue Business has declared Chief Sustainability Officers ‘fashion’s new influencers’ and the sustainability agenda is creeping into every individual’s workload - whether through introduced KPIs or new ‘sustainable’ collections.

For Common Objective, it is extremely encouraging to see. If we want to shift the needle on sustainability, it must been seen as everyone’s responsibility. However, individuals within these brands, as well as their supply chain partners, must also be given the support and tools needed to make the necessary changes.

Tamsin Lejeune, CEO of Common Objective, says: “There are two important ingredients for making sustainability business as usual: one is that there is bold leadership from the top to set an ambitious sustainability agenda; and the second is that it is embedded across teams. Sustainability is no longer the sole responsibility of the CSR or ethical trading department - it is something every fashion professional needs to understand in order to be good at their job.

We believe that by making sustainability practical, inspiring, and simple - we will be able to equip businesses to achieve these targets faster.”

Common Objective (CO), launched in May 2018, by the team who ran global not-for-profit the Ethical Fashion Forum, is designed to be the practical tool for everyone working in fashion to help them succeed sustainably in their role or business.

Whether you are a designer or buyer, work in marketing and communications or PR, or run a factory or fabric mill, Common Objective helps you simplify the complexities of sustainability and drive forward better practices.

The real test for the G7 Fashion Pact will come when the spotlight is placed on signatories to report on their progress. We believe that it is crucial businesses are held accountable and that success is measured on overall impact reduction. This will require true collaboration and commitment by all those working in the fashion industry.

Our mission at CO is to support everyone, from garment worker to CEO, to achieve these targets.

About CO

Common Objective (CO) is a B2B sourcing and information network that supports professionals to succeed sustainably in fashion business. As of August 2019, over 18,000 members have joined including professionals from world leading brands and retailers such as Kering, LVMH, Burberry, Nike, ASOS, and more.

The site is free to join, with premium membership packages available for those who wish to take the next step towards futureproofing their business.

CO builds on 12 years of work by the Ethical Fashion Forum, and partners with a number of industry organisations including The World Fair Trade Organisation, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and more. CO was launched in May 2018 and has been serially backed by industry leaders including Roland Mouret, Harold Tillman CBE, Rattha Group, and PDS.