Spinnova calls for incentives and investments into circular fashion at COP28

Sustainable textile material company Spinnova emphasises that the run up to COP28 is no time to back down on climate action in the global fashion and textile industries.

The fashion and apparel industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, accounting for 4% of global emissions and known for various sustainability challenges from water and soil depletion to heavy chemical use, microplastic pollution, and mounting textile waste. In Europe, the consumption of textiles has the fourth highest impact on climate change, surpassed only by food, housing and mobility.

According to sustainable textile material company Spinnova, decarbonising the industry and reaching net zero by 2050 will require immediate and robust action from policymakers, brands and consumers alike. Joining the COP28 Conference, Spinnova’s Deputy CEO Ben Selby argues that the pressure is on to keep providing incentives and investments, if we’re to meet the industry’s ambitious climate targets.

“Decarbonising an industry as complex as fashion and apparel calls for innovations, incentives and investments. In the past five years, we’ve seen new, sustainable technologies prove their commercial viability. Now it’s time for legislators to follow suit to support these solutions in scaling as rapidly as possible,” Selby explains.

Spinnova, creating textile material from wood or waste, is an example of a solution addressing multiple sustainability challenges in fashion – their patented process creates zero waste, side streams or microplastics, doesn’t use any harmful chemicals, and has minimal CO2 emissions and water use compared to conventional cotton. The SPINNOVA® fibre has already been used by global apparel companies such as adidas and Bestseller, and Spinnova has ongoing collaborations with other textile industry innovators in areas such as recycled textile waste and sustainable dyeing.

At the COP28 Conference, Spinnova hopes to build new partnerships and be a voice for textile innovators whose solutions have a chance to help tackle climate change.

“We’re only six years away from the first major climate targets that have been set for the fashion and apparel industry. At Spinnova, we do everything we can to support the journey to achieve these goals," Selby sums.