Stella McCartney launches UN fashion charter to action sustainability

Stella McCartney is to announce a United Nations fashion industry charter for climate action, which will be launched at next month’s climate talks in Poland.

Arguably the most environmentally conscious high-fashion designer, Stella McCartney has devoted her company to a no leather, no fur, no skin, no feather policy. Sustainability has been the fundamental pillar of her brand – long before it was something of a buzzword – and her accomplishments as a designer, entrepreneur, spokesperson and activist echo this.

She was the first luxury designer to collaborate with Adidas on a completely vegan leather shoe in September of this year and her debut bridal-wear range is the sustainable collection we’ve been waiting for. When it comes to the industry’s immense effects on the planet, Stella is well clued-in and never sacrifices style for sustainability; creating modern wardrobe statements which demonstrate what the future of fashion looks like today.

The designer, who is celebrating 17 years in business this year, has taken a step further in her efforts by partnering with the UN to create a fashion charter to tackle climate change. Announced on stage as part of  Imran Amed’s Business of Fashion’s VOICES event, the charter will pave the way for more sustainable business practices in the fashion industry. The designer hopes the charter will “ring some alarm bells” while making a business case for sustainable fashion; setting out a path for collective action to reduce fashion’s carbon footprint (the fashion industry is the second greatest polluter on the planet, producing greenhouse gas emissions of 1.2 billion tonnes a year).

McCartney also took the opportunity to announce her new charitable initiative, Stella McCartney Cares Green – a sibling to the existing Stella McCartney Cares Pink platform.

“I’m very excited for this next chapter in our commitment to sustainability. We are just at the beginning with Stella McCartney Cares and can’t wait to show the world what we are imagining,” Stella says on her new, purpose-built website. “This new platform will enable me to realise a dream I have had for a long time, of creating a truly open source and empowering the next generation of designers to bring sustainability values into their practice.”

The fashion charter will be launched at the climate talks in Katowice, Poland, on December 10.