THREADS OF TRANSFORMATION

The fashion industry is a major contributor to global carbon emissions and water pollution, with a supply chain heavily reliant on fossil fuels and concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. Women comprise over 60% of the global garment workforce but face systemic barriers, including limited access to sustainable energy and underrepresentation in leadership. The report advocates for the adoption of renewable energy, circular fashion models, and gender-responsive policies to drive a sustainable transition. Key recommendations include scaling financial support for women-led SMEs, investing in green skills training, and implementing mandatory supply chain transparency to address environmental and social inequities.

• The fashion industry has a massive environmental footprint, contributing an estimated 2-8% of global carbon emissions and nearly 20% of global wastewater. If current trends persist, greenhouse gas emissions are projected to increase by more than 60% by 2030, and nearly 73% of textiles will be derived from fossil fuels.
• The sector is highly energy-intensive, consuming approximately one trillion kWh of electricity annually. A significant portion of this energy is wasted due to poor efficiency, with estimates suggesting that 50% of energy input in textile manufacturing is lost during production.
• Women are disproportionately affected by the industry's environmental and social impacts. While they make up over 60% of the global garment workforce, they are concentrated in low-wage, informal roles and are underrepresented in leadership; only 14% of major fashion brands have female executives.
• There is a significant 'cooling gap' in major textile producing regions like Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan. In Dhaka, factory temperatures often exceed 30°C, which negatively impacts the health and productivity of the predominantly female workforce.
• Women-led SMEs, which account for 90% of businesses in Africa's fashion sector, face severe financial barriers to adopting renewable energy. The global finance gap for women-led SMEs in emerging markets is estimated at USD 1.7 trillion.
• Circular fashion models—including resale, rental, and repair—could reduce emissions by 30% to 50% and are projected to increase their global market share from 3.5% to 23% by 2030.
• Scope 3 emissions constitute the vast majority of a fashion brand's impact, often ranging from 96% to 99% of total emissions. However, 92% of 250 major brands lack a public renewable electricity target for their supply chains.
• A critical technical skills gap exists for women in the energy transition. In Africa's solar PV sector, women occupy only 24% of STEM roles and 22% of other technical positions, limiting their ability to manage clean energy systems in fashion SMEs.

APA

Strasser, A., Idem, R., & Dorcas-Joseph, T. (n.d.). THREADS OF TRANSFORMATION. Sustainable Energy for All. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2025-06/SEforALL_report-threads-of-transformation-2025.pdf

Chicago

Strasser, Ava, Rosemary Idem, and Taiwo Dorcas-Joseph. THREADS OF TRANSFORMATION. Sustainable Energy for All, n.d. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2025-06/SEforALL_report-threads-of-transformation-2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Strasser |first1=Ava |last2=Idem |first2=Rosemary |last3=Dorcas-Joseph |first3=Taiwo |title=THREADS OF TRANSFORMATION |publisher=Sustainable Energy for All |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2025-06/SEforALL_report-threads-of-transformation-2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{strasserndthreads, author = {Strasser, Ava and Idem, Rosemary and Dorcas-Joseph, Taiwo}, title = {{THREADS OF TRANSFORMATION}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2025-06/SEforALL_report-threads-of-transformation-2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }