The textile industry produces 2 to 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, uses 86 million Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of water a year and has a sizeable chemical footprint. UNEP is working to lessen that environmental impact by backing the sector to use more circular solutions. 

The organization has been working with small- and medium-sized textile makers in Africa and Asia, supporting them as they aim to reduce waste by 25 per cent. UNEP is also supporting these companies as they become part of transparent value chains, allowing them to access markets with sustainability requirements. Smaller companies are the backbone of the clothing industry, often supplying the world’s biggest brands. 

UNEP also worked to shift consumption patterns through the International Day of Zero Waste. This year’s edition focused on how to make the fashion and textile industries – including fast fashion – more sustainable by reducing waste. Among other things, the day, led by UNEP and UN-Habitat, featured the launch of an initiative to cut down on waste by three provinces along China’s Yangtze River. 

Zero Waste Day came as the textile industry increasingly turned its focus to reducing pollution in line with the targets of the Global Framework on Chemicals, a key agreement adopted in 2023.