0. About Just Transition

Fashion is changing. The climate and ecological crisis mean change is imperative. Governments, companies and citizens are responding to technological and digital innovations. How can this change happen so people and the planet are put before profit?

The concept of Just Transition emerged in the 1980s from the workers’ movement in the United States, in response to regulations on air and water pollution that resulted in the closure of dirty industries and the loss of jobs and income. Well-organized trade unions established the concept of ‘Just Transition’ to protect jobs, create adequate support where employment was lost and create new decent jobs in low-carbon sectors with living wages, decent work conditions and that were accessible to people with different skills. Since then, the concept was reiterated by trade unions all over the world and entered into the international political arena with the Just Transition Declaration at the COP26 in Glasgow.

In fashion, Just Transition is about ensuring justice during and after the change to a low-carbon fashion system that protects and restores nature - and in the context of technological change. For the Clean Clothes Campaign, justice means respecting and protecting workers' rights, including a living wage, freedom of association, social protection, health and safety, and freedom from harassment and discrimination. It means that companies are held accountable for damage to people and the environment. It also requires repairing the damage done to workers and their communities, both by the climate crisis and by the transformation to a low-carbon industry that protects and restores nature.