A sustainable and resilient circular fashion and textiles industry

Summary

This report links circular economy principles with the planetary boundaries framework, helping to set business decision making within its globally interconnected social and environmental context.

It describes how the planetary boundaries can be translated to baselines of global responsibility for resource use and negative externalities. It outlines the planetary priorities for setting science based targets at the necessary level of ambition to steer and track business action that reduces the pressures on Earth’s safe operating space.

In short, the report shows how applying circular economy principles can help societies to shift from an extractive, wasteful and risk-multiplying value chain to a circular business ecosystem for a fashion and textiles industry that can adapt resiliently to today’s changing environmental realities.

The Sustainable Textiles project was a science-business collaboration. The research was led by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, informed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s work, and funded by H&M Group.

Information

Link to centre authors: Cornell, Sarah, Häyhä, Tiina
Publication info: Cornell, S., Häyhä, T., and Palm, C. 2021. A sustainable and resilient circular textiles and fashion industry:towards a circular economy that respects and responds to planetary priorities. A Research Report by Stockholm University’s Stockholm Resilience Centre for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and H&M Group.

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