Climate change messages in the fashion industry discussed at COP28
pp.517-546
The aim of this study is to investigate the fashion industry’s response to climate change and how these discussions unfolded at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Climate change response projects by B Corp-certified fashion companies are examined, focusing on stakeholder efforts and reviewing online media reports. Text data were collected from web documents, interviews, and op-eds relating to COP28 from December 2018 to April 2024 and analyzed using text mining and semantic network analysis to identify critical keywords and contexts. The analysis revealed that the fashion industry is fulfilling its environmental responsibilities through various strategies, prompting changes in consumer behavior by advocating sustainable consumption, including carbon removal, energy transition, and recycling promotion. Stakeholders in online media and those present at COP28 discussed issues relating to climate change in the fashion industry, focusing on environmental protection, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable material usage, and social responsibility. Key issues at COP28 included policy and regulation, climate change response, energy transition, carbon emissions management, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. Additionally, by examining the main collections exhibited at the fashion show during COP28, the study analyzed how messages about climate change were conveyed. Fashion companies communicated the industry’s response through exhibitions and fashion shows, suggesting a move toward balancing environmental protection and economic growth through the development of sustainable materials, the expansion of recycling and reuse practices, and the modern reinterpretation of cultural heritage.
Ⅱ. Theoretical Background
1. The climate change council and the fashionindustry
2. Climate change in fashion studies
Ⅲ. Research Methods
1. Climate change and fashion projects andcampaigns
2. Data collection and analysis
Ⅳ. Results
1. A case of fashion campaigns and projectsrelated to climate change
2. The climate change agenda in the fashionindustry in the online media
3. Discussion of the COP28 climate changeresponse
4. Climate change messaging in COP28 exhibitsand sustainable fashion design
Ⅴ. Discussion
Ⅵ. Conclusion
References