Big Closets Small Planet

Michael Schragger
Big Closets Small Planet

Fashion and apparel. It touches nearly everyone. When its at its best, fashion and apparel is not only functional, but also fun, expressive, sexy, and for some businesses, very profitable. But when it is at its worst, fashion and apparel is superficial, exploitative, polluting and extremely wasteful - in other words the essence of unsustainable consumption. And while it is argued that the industry's rapid growth has created employment opportunities for more than 300 million people worldwide, especially for women in poorer countries and those in extreme poverty, many garment workers still struggle to earn enough to pay to meet even their most basic needs. More alarming is the fact that as the industry grows - by 2030 more than 8 billion people will live on the planet, and nearly 5 billion of these will be part of the global middle class - its negative environmental impacts may become unmanageable, potentially undermining its social benefits and contributing to ecosystem degradation on local, regional and global scales. Who would have thought garments could be so destructive? The fashion industry must change now, but will we manage in time? Join Mike Schragger, founder of the Sustainable Fashion Academy, as he explores the challenges, incentives and disincentives and emerging solutions needed to rapidly transform the industry. Listen in as he talks with the business leaders, activists, researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs, investors, legislators, consumers and citizens - who are racing against the clock to find solutions that will transform the industry, thus ensuring it truly operates for the benefit of people and the planet. www.sustainablefashionacademy.org/podcasts/big-closets-small-planet

  1. CLIMATE ACTION WEEK: Do we need to reimagine growth in apparel? Textile Exchange makes the case.

    JUN 13

    CLIMATE ACTION WEEK: Do we need to reimagine growth in apparel? Textile Exchange makes the case.

    A few years ago Professor Jason Hickel was invited to speak during an annual Textile Exchange conference. Why was that invitation noteworthy? Because Jason is an advocate for degrowth in fashion. Fast forward to 2024 and Textile Exchange released the report Reimagining Growth Landscape Analysis. Perhaps Jason’s intervention struck a chord? In this conversation, Michael speaks with Beth Jensen from Textile Exchange and Rachel Arthur, the report’s lead author, to explore the reasoning behind and the conclusions drawn in the report. In short, the report concludes that the industry’s current trajectory is incompatible with achieving key climate, nature, and human rights goals, because impacts will only increase while growth remains a business imperative. Michael, Beth and Rachel explore what an alternative approach could look like, including the challenging concepts and terminology needed to frame the discussion, whether apparel business leaders are or can ever be receptive to this analysis, and what possible pathways they see for moving this agenda forward. “Focusing on business as usual is not really an option. If we don't address this, we won't meet our sustainability goals or the Paris Agreement.” “Today’s CEOs have a fiduciary duty to report growth—that’s the reality we’re working within. It’s why this conversation is both sensitive and necessary.” “Green growth hasn’t yet been proven possible — not in the short timeframe we have, and not on a continuous basis.” For more information about this podcast and our guest experts, or to listen to other Climate Action Week 2025 podcast conversations, please visit: https://sustainablefashionacademy.org/stica/climate-action-week-2025/

    1h 1m
  2. CLIMATE ACTION WEEK: Ken Pucker is a thought leader and an independent voice. Is anyone listening?

    JUN 13

    CLIMATE ACTION WEEK: Ken Pucker is a thought leader and an independent voice. Is anyone listening?

    Ken Pucker, former COO at Timberland and now Professor of Practice at Tufts University, sustainable industry analyst, opinion columnist and critic, views himself as a completely independent voice when it comes to issues concerning fashion and sustainability. During last year’s Climate Action Week, Michael and Ken discussed a number of topics, including his views regarding the rise and negative impacts of instant fashion and why voluntary sustainability initiatives do not work and thus why we need smart legislation. We invited Ken back to comment on what has happened in the past year regarding instant fashion, including the continuing saga involving Shein’s IPO and its newly approved science-based target, the status of the New York and California Fashion Acts, how congestion pricing could be a model climate action in the apparel industry, circular fantasies and myth busting, and whether he thinks his work is having an impact. Ken is always very insightful and thought provoking.  “Shein’s emissions are now the biggest in the industry. They’ve grown 3x in the last three years.”  “Congestion pricing worked in New York and London. Why not apply similar thinking to fashion?” “I recognise that I am in a special place, I am gifted the opportunity to be independent and most people cannot be. So I don’t take that responsibility or gift lightly.” For more information about this podcast and our guest experts, or to listen to other Climate Action Week 2025 podcast conversations, please visit: https://sustainablefashionacademy.org/stica/climate-action-week-2025/

    45 min
  3. CLIMATE ACTION WEEK: Will EU’s textile legislation reduce industry emissions at the pace and scale required?

    JUN 12

    CLIMATE ACTION WEEK: Will EU’s textile legislation reduce industry emissions at the pace and scale required?

    According to a recent report by the European Environment Agency, the greenhouse gas emissions from textile consumption in the EU was 355kg CO2e per person (based on 2022 data). So how does the EU Commission, which is responsible for developing and implementing the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, think about climate action and textiles? Michael invited Matjaž Malgaj, the Coordinator of the cross-Directorate General team (DG ENV, DG GROW, and DG ENER) that works on making sustainable products the norm in the EU, and Head of Unit for Sustainable Products in DG ENV, to weigh in. Michael asked Matjaž about the EU Commission's view on climate action in the context of apparel and textiles, whether the commission wants the industry to align itself with science-based targets and whether the EU apparel industry and its citizens should reduce its emissions inline with the 1.5C pathway. Michael and Matjaž discuss whether the current and coming legislation will enable decarbonisation at the pace and scale science says is required, which particular pieces of legislation will be most effective and how the Commission thinks about addressing the fact that a significant amount of the industry’s emissions are created in countries outside of the EU. Michael pushed the conversation even further by asking Matjaž to weigh in on the tension between economic growth and competitiveness and environmental targets, ultra-fast fashion and overconsumption, financial rewards and penalties and what the EU can and cannot do. If you want to know how the EU Commission currently thinks about climate action in the context of the apparel industry, then you should definitely listen to this! “Everything we do should be seen in the context of becoming a decarbonised net society by 2050.” “Just the regulations on their own will not do everything… we know there is an issue of overconsumption.” “We heard time and time again that we should be ambitious, but we also have to be sure that we’re designing something that can actually be rolled out in real life.” For more information about this podcast and our guest expert, or to listen to other Climate Action Week 2025 podcast conversations, please visit: https://sustainablefashionacademy.org/stica/climate-action-week-2025/

    54 min
  4. CLIMATE ACTION WEEK: Heat is putting Indian garment workers’ lives at risk today. We need to act now.

    JUN 11

    CLIMATE ACTION WEEK: Heat is putting Indian garment workers’ lives at risk today. We need to act now.

    Nandita Shivakumar is a labor organizer and campaigner whose work has focused on gender justice, sustainability, and migrant rights in global fashion supply chains. She also represents the Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union (TTCU), a 12,000 worker strong, Dalit women-led trade union, working to ensure dignity, safety and decent work for textile workers. In this conversation Nandita describes how she is witnessing first hand the impacts of global warming and specifically increasing heat stress on garment workers. As she describes it, increasing heat and temperatures are having significant impacts on workers' health, particularly health problems for female workers, and is putting their lives at risk now. Michael and Nandita discuss the problem, the lack of accountability, the solutions, and the need to act now.  “Fashion’s climate crisis is not a future risk for us. Our workers are living through it now - factories hitting 40°C, no ventilation, no water, no rest.”  “We’re already hearing of fainting, dehydration, heat rashes, and haemorrhoids among workers - but they can’t afford medical care.”  “The greatest responsibility must fall on those with the most power and profit - and that’s the brands and governments.”  For more information about this podcast and our guest expert, or to listen to other Climate Action Week 2025 podcast conversations, please visit: https://sustainablefashionacademy.org/stica/climate-action-week-2025/

    29 min
4.9
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Fashion and apparel. It touches nearly everyone. When its at its best, fashion and apparel is not only functional, but also fun, expressive, sexy, and for some businesses, very profitable. But when it is at its worst, fashion and apparel is superficial, exploitative, polluting and extremely wasteful - in other words the essence of unsustainable consumption. And while it is argued that the industry's rapid growth has created employment opportunities for more than 300 million people worldwide, especially for women in poorer countries and those in extreme poverty, many garment workers still struggle to earn enough to pay to meet even their most basic needs. More alarming is the fact that as the industry grows - by 2030 more than 8 billion people will live on the planet, and nearly 5 billion of these will be part of the global middle class - its negative environmental impacts may become unmanageable, potentially undermining its social benefits and contributing to ecosystem degradation on local, regional and global scales. Who would have thought garments could be so destructive? The fashion industry must change now, but will we manage in time? Join Mike Schragger, founder of the Sustainable Fashion Academy, as he explores the challenges, incentives and disincentives and emerging solutions needed to rapidly transform the industry. Listen in as he talks with the business leaders, activists, researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs, investors, legislators, consumers and citizens - who are racing against the clock to find solutions that will transform the industry, thus ensuring it truly operates for the benefit of people and the planet. www.sustainablefashionacademy.org/podcasts/big-closets-small-planet

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