Certification schemes, labels and industry initiatives aimed at steering the fashion industry onto a greener course are actually acting as a smokescreen for its continued heavy toll on the planet, a new report finds.

Licence to Greenwash by the Changing Markets Foundation analysed ten certification labels and industry initiatives used by fashion brands to assess or measure their sustainability, investigating whether these schemes are fit for purpose in addressing the harms of the modern fashion industry.

The report investigated schemes such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, The Textile Exchange, WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), Cradle2Cradle, and The Higg Index by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC).

It assessed their level of ambition, the scope for continuous improvement, independence, transparency and track record of performance – finding no scheme to be fit for purpose.

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