3 - Green and social washing

Any fix to the climate and ecological crisis that addresses the natural environment while ignoring the exploitation of workers worldwide is not just and is doomed to fail.

If companies are left to make the decisions about how to address the climate and ecological effects of their businesses they will neglect workers’ rights. Corporate ‘green’ programmes have served to fill the pockets of brands,rather than to benefit workers and the planet. While the environmental impact of production may slightly lessen as a result of corporate environmental initiatives, as long as the objective is to maximise profit, workers’ rights will continue to be violated and the global climate and ecological crisis will continue to worsen.

Green jobs and the circular economy may protect the environment, but will not improve workers’ conditions without a struggle. The movement to a circular economy will bring changes to the way clothes are made and sold, which in turn, will bring changes for workers. New processes such as repair, reuse and recycle can be hazardous and labour intensive, and will require new skills. Existing divides and widespread inequalities, such as those based on geography, class, race and gender, on access to education will also affect access to new jobs and training.