Background Guide

 by Claudi Bonney Amamoo, Sera Crookes, and Aspen Anderson. 

History of the United Nations Environment Programme - Committee of Permanent  Representatives 

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was established by the General Assembly in Resolution  A/RES/27/2997 on December 15, 1972, following the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment  (UNHCE), also known as the Stockholm Conference, held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 1972. The UNEP,  headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, is tasked with setting the global environmental agenda and centralizing the  knowledge and environmental efforts of the United Nations (UN). The official mission of the UNEP is to “provide  leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations  and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.”

The UNEP is led by a Senior Management Team chaired by Executive Director Inger Andersen, who was appointed  in February 2019 by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The Senior Management team works alongside the  Governance Affairs Office and the Secretariat of the Environmental Management Group to oversee the work of the  UNEP and maintain six regional offices in North America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and  the Caribbean, and West Asia. The Secretariat maintains relationships with and provides administrative and  logistical support to the research bodies of international environmental treaties known as multilateral environmental  agreements (MEAs) with the oversight of the Senior Management Team. The work of the UNEP is categorized into  seven broad thematic areas or sub-programmes: “climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem management,  environmental governance, chemicals and waste, resource efficiency, and environment under review.” 

The main governing body of the UNEP is the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), formerly known as the UNEP  Governing Council, which meets biennially and serves as the world’s principal decision-making body on matters  related to the environment. The UNEA was established as a successor to the Governing Council in June 2012 at the  United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, through their outcome  document “The Future We Want.” Today, UNEA offers universal membership to all 193 UN Member States and is  led by the Bureau of the Environment Assembly, consisting of a president, eight vice-presidents, and a rapporteur  elected from among its members, with each of the five regional groups represented by two members of the Bureau. The sixth session of the UNEA (UNEA-6), held from February 26 to March 1, 2024, concluded with the adoption of 15 resolutions addressing resource management, environmental assistance and recovery in conflict areas, water resource management, tackling water stress in agriculture and industry, sustainable lifestyles, the rehabilitation of  degraded lands and waters, and more. The UNEP Committee of Permanent Representatives (UNEP-CPR) was established as a subsidiary organ of the  UNEA in May 1985 by Governing Council Decision 13/2. Under Governing Council Decision 27/2 in February 2013, the CPR was extended to be open-ended to function as the main inter-sessional organ of the newly established UNEA. Today, the CPR meets at least four times yearly to guide the agenda of the UNEA governing body, prepare  policy and action plans for adoption by the UNEA, and oversee the implementation of UNEA directives, such as  endorsing the Subcommittee of the CPR’s draft report at the 169th meeting of the CPR in March 2025. The CPR  currently consists of 152 accredited representatives from UN Member States and representatives from specialized  agencies of the UN, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International Maritime Organization  (IMO), as well as the European Union (EU). UNEP is overseen by a five-member bureau, currently comprised of representatives from Jordan, Egypt, the Czech Republic, France, and Barbados, which represent the five regional  groups and are elected for terms of two years. To become an accredited representative to the CPR, applicants must  submit a formal request to the Secretariat expressing a desire for accreditation. 

For funding, the UNEP relies on voluntary contributions to the Environment Fund from Member States as its  primary source of unrestricted funds. In 2002, the Governing Council created the Voluntary Indicative Scale of  Contributions (VISC) to establish a fair standard by which Member States are encouraged to contribute to the fund  based on their economic and social circumstances. The UNEP also receives funds earmarked by donors for  specific projects, themes, or sub-programmes to enable the expansion and replication of the UNEP’s core work. 

Since its creation, the UNEP has worked at the forefront of environmental efforts, bringing about the creation of the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988 alongside the World Meteorological Organization  (WMO), setting the stage for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) signed at the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit,  in 1992. The Earth Summit examined the progress made toward sustainable development since the Stockholm  Conference, which saw the drafting of the Declaration of the Conference on the Human Environment, and paved the way for future international treaties, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, which opened for signature at the Earth Summit, the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, and the Paris Agreement in 2015. 

Participation within UNEP has increased over time as more Member States and other actors are convinced of the vital importance of addressing environmental degradation and the role of environmental action in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The UNEP continues to focus on strengthening effective, inclusive, and sustainable multilateral efforts to address the three planetary environmental crises of climate change, nature loss, and pollution. The UNEP-CPR emphasizes the need to uphold  the importance of human rights and “facilitate financial and economic transformations that build equity and resilience; circularity and sustainable consumption and production” through international collaboration.

Reducing the Environmental Impact of the Fast Fashion Industry 

Introduction 

As global societies developed mass production techniques, fashion shifted from a basic necessity to a means of self expression, transforming it into a thriving industry. The response to this increased demand was the development  of the fast fashion industry. Fast fashion can be defined as low-cost, low-quality clothing rapidly produced by  retailers in response to the latest trends. The fast fashion business model operates under quick turn over, high  volume, and cheap prices which leads to a shorter lifespan for garments. These shorter lifespans cause garments to  be disposed of quickly, generating increased waste. Production of fast fashion is taxing on the environment as the  fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of water, consuming 93 billion cubic meters per year, and is  responsible for eight percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emission. United Nations bodies, such as the United  Nations Climate Change (UNCC), have attempted to address the environmental impacts of fast fashion, but the lack  of binding international agreements makes enforcing regulations difficult. Without immediate action, the fast  fashion industry’s CO2 emissions are projected to increase from 8 percent to 26 percent by 2050, further  accelerating climate change by trapping more heat in the atmosphere. Given its leadership in climate action,  environmental protection, and the regulation of hazardous chemicals to prevent pollution, the UNEP is uniquely  positioned – and urgently needed – to address the ever-growing negative environmental impact of the fast fashion  industry.

History 

Prior to the global industrial revolution of the 1830s, the creation of clothing was a tedious process. Making  clothing was done by hand and only as a necessity to adapt to the changing seasons or to replace old garments that  no longer fit. With the invention of the sewing machine in 1829, it became easier, faster, and cheaper to make  clothing. This led to clothes being made in bulk with various sizes instead of being made to order based on an  individual’s specific measurements, creating a surplus of clothing. Prior to the global industrial revolution,  clothing dyes were made from natural materials – such as those extracted from plants, insects, or other renewable sources – meaning they could be replenished within a human lifetime, as dye production was relatively small in  scale. The dyeing process evolved as clothing production became more automated with the introduction of  synthetic dyes. Synthetic dyes made from coal tar and petrochemicals – chemicals derived from fossil fuels – greatly expanded the range of colors and amount of dye that could be produced; however, liquid waste from the  dyeing process often went untreated and was released into waterways. Untreated waste water from the dyeing  process posed an environmental threat, as many dyes were non-biodegradable and polluted aquatic habitats, harming  the species that lived there.

With the rapid production of affordable clothing, the fashion industry boomed and clothing shops started catering to the middle class, selling clothes for style rather than practicality. By the 1960s, clothing had become a form of self-expression, causing a high demand for fashionable and affordable garments. Prior to this period, when clothes were made purely for utility, the average person owned roughly nine pieces of clothing. Over the decades, this number has skyrocketed to an estimated 103 pieces of clothing per person. To compensate for this rising demand,  the fashion industry opened textile mills to create cheaper, synthetic fabrics that could be sold at a lower price, maximizing profits. Fiber production shifted with the invention of synthetic fibers such as Nylon, a synthetic  plastic fiber derived from petroleum which is a nonrenewable fossil fuel. Synthetic fibers that end up in landfills can take centuries to biodegrade. The development of cheaper fabrics, contributed to the creation of the fast  fashion industry. 

In the 1990s, low-cost fashion reached a new level as the fast fashion model was widely used by the fashion industry. The fast fashion business model was made to constantly create new merchandise to maintain the interest  of consumers. Brands such as Zara and H&M quickly adopted this model which drew in customer attention as  new collections were released often to keep up with the latest trends. For example, luxury fashion brands, such as  Chanel, often released two collections per year, whereas fast fashion brands, such as H&M, released as many as 52 collections a year. The fast fashion model quickly became profitable due to the cheap labor and materials, combined with low garment quality that caused clothes to wear out more quickly and drove consumers to continually buy more fast fashion to replace them.

By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the rise of the internet gave way to a new market for fashion consumers: e-commerce, or online shopping. Online shopping reduced costs for the fashion industry by limiting the need for physical stores; however, this led to an increase in international shipping to deliver products to consumers worldwide. The international shipping of materials to factories, warehouses, and consumers is largely taxing on the environment, with maritime shipping alone accounting for 800 million tons of CO2 emissions a year. The evolution of online shopping expanded the fashion industry’s global reach, increasing the demand for fast, cheap clothing and intensifying the industry’s environmental footprint, making the need for sustainable solutions more urgent than ever.

Current Situation 

As the fast fashion industry grows, adverse environmental impacts – such as ground and water pollution,  environmental degradation, and increased CO2 emissions – continue to worsen. According to the Ellen  MacArthur Foundation, a non-profit focused on evidence-based research on climate change, between 2000 and  2015, clothing production doubled while the duration of wear for a garment decreased by 36 percent; this large increase in production, coupled with shorter wear times, has resulted in a significant rise in textile waste. As such, the ongoing unsustainable practices of the fast fashion industry contribute to the triple planetary crisis – the  manifestation of environmental damage due to climate change, a strain on natural resources, and pollution – which poses a growing threat to the environment.

Today, the adverse environmental effects of fast fashion begin with the production of the fibers used to make the  clothes, with 63 percent of fibers used in fast fashion garments being synthetic. Synthetic fibers such as polyester,  which are made from oil-derived plastics, place a significant strain on non-renewable natural resources, with an estimated 70 million barrels of oil used each year to make plastic fibers. Continued reliance on oil is damaging to the environment as it pollutes digging sites and can cause disasters that harm wildlife, such as oil spills. Not only is the creation of plastic fibers straining natural resources, it also produces large amounts of CO2. The production  of a shirt using plastic fibers, such as polyester, emits around 5.5 kilograms of CO2 as compared to a cotton shirt,  which releases only 2.1 kilograms of CO2. High CO2 emissions have been shown to contribute to climate change which increases the frequency and strength of weather events such as heatwaves, blizzards, hurricanes, floods,  wildfires, and more.

Textile manufacturing also uses an estimated 15,000 various petrochemicals, some of which are toxic and can accumulate in the environment through wastewater runoff. After plastic, cotton makes up 26 percent of fibers  used in the production of textiles. The combination of plastic and cotton production for fiber requires 215 trillion  liters of water. The water leftover from the production of textiles is often toxic and is dumped into waterways, polluting the water and damaging the environment. Additionally, the immense use of water can lead to drought in  areas where fiber production occurs.

Since the fast fashion model relies on having as many new products as possible, companies rely on quickly made and low-quality garments; for instance, companies like Shein have garments designed, manufactured, and prepared to be sold within ten days. These garments are made from plastic-based fibers such as polyester, acrylic, nylon,  and spandex, which release microplastics into the water when washed; it’s estimated that around half a million tons  of plastic microfibers are released into the environment every year. This translates to 50 billion plastic bottles worth of plastic being shed per year, and the lower quality the fabric, the more microplastics they shed. Washing  just one load of laundry of plastic-based fibers releases up to 700,000 non-biodegradable microplastics into  waterways. Furthermore, microplastics that shed from garments when washed contaminate water and are ingested  by marine life, decreasing biodiversity. These microplastics eventually work their way up the food chain posing  health risks for humans consuming seafood.

Since the fast fashion industry profits on poorly made garments with cheap fabrics, it is estimated that people are buying 60 percent more clothes but wearing them for half as long. To make matters worse, garments made of synthetic fibers, like most fast fashion is, take over 200 years to biodegrade compared to cotton which can decompose in just under five months. Furthermore, synthetic fibers release microplastics and toxic chemicals into  the ground, damaging the soil and decreasing plant biodiversity. Additionally, the poor quality of these garments often makes them rip, tear, or disintegrate quickly making them unacceptable for donation or recycling. With less  than one percent of materials used to produce clothing being recycled, 73 percent of textiles end up in landfills or are  incinerated. This adds up to about 92 million tons of garments ending up in landfills per year, which is equivalent  to a garbage truck full of clothes ending up in a landfill every second. In addition, 2.6 million tons of discarded garments are returned items, as they cost more to put back in circulation, and retail companies often opt to dispose of the garments instead. Currently, the production, consumption, and disposal of fast fashion is creating an environmental crisis with the fast fashion industry accounting for eight percent of global greenhouse gas emission and nine percent of microplastic pollution. In response, the UNEP, its sub-bodies, and other UN bodies have  recently begun taking actions to address this all-encompassing issue.

Actions Taken by the UN:

Since there was little discourse on the topic of the environmental impacts of fast fashion, it wasn’t until the late  2010s that the UN made its first official action against the issue. In 2018, the Secretariat of the United Nations  Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as United Nations Climate Change (UNCC), met with fashion  industry stakeholders to identify ways the fashion industry could improve their overall business practices in order to  combat climate change. Together the UNCC and fashion industry brands created the Fashion Industry Charter for  Climate Action (FICCA), which aims to achieve net-zero emission in the fashion industry by 2050. The FICCA  was launched at the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) in December of 2018. The charter connects the  fashion industry with existing solutions, programs, and initiatives to lower carbon emissions and calls for the  improvement of transparency of overall business practices. The charter includes commitments such as securing  100 percent of electricity from renewable sources, sourcing 100 percent of materials that are low climate impact by  2030, and setting a target of at least 50 percent greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2050. The charter includes  signatories from 69 fashion companies, including Adidas and Chanel; both companies also opted to support the Paris Agreement by limiting the global temperature rise through greenhouse gas reduction and a commitment to utilizing  only renewable sources of energy. Another fashion company that signed the charter is Burberry which has  committed to net zero emission by 2040. Recently, a 2023 progress report from UNCC highlighted some of the  advancements and regressions companies had made in relation to their set goals. For example, 32 signatories of  FICCA reported achieving at least 30 percent emission reduction since 2020 while 30 percent of signatories reported  their energy consumption doubling since 2020.

In March of 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), the governing body of the UNEP, adopted  UNEP/EA.5/RES.11 titled “Enhancing circular economy as a contribution to achieving sustainable consumption and  production.” This resolution heavily focused on the importance of implementing circular economies – economic  systems where materials do not become waste and are instead reused, refurbished, remanufactured, recycled, or  composted – in Member States to be more sustainable. Furthermore, UNEP/EA.5/RES.11 invites Member States  to partner with the private sector and other relevant organizations to adopt policies that promote a circular economy,  thereby lessening the environmental impact of the fast fashion industry. Partnering with the private sector is  important to enhancing circular economies as this is where many of these practices are initially developed and  implemented. By partnering with the private sector, Member States, such as Chile and Japan, have begun implementing circular economic policies; however, a lack of international cooperation and the slow implementation  of these policies have hindered progress in reducing the negative environmental impact of the fast fashion industry. Much of this delay stems from the current economic success of the fast fashion industry, which has made Member States hesitant to work together to implement circular global supply chains that could disrupt the industry’s growth. Nevertheless, implementing a circular economy has the potential to drive new economic  growth, particularly through the expansion of the recycling industry. 

In 2023, the UNEP and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) co-authored,  “The Sustainable Fashion Communication Playbook.” The Playbook provides detailed explanations, policy  proposals, and best practices for leaders in the fashion industry and Member States to utilize in an effort to create  more sustainable production, distribution, and consumption practices within the fashion industry. Specifically, the  playbook outlines how the UNEP could assist in the development of sustainable fashion and how to achieve  sustainable fashion. In doing so, the Playbook outlines three stages that are required to create a sustainable fashion  industry: data-based foundation, a cultural shift, and leadership backed advocacy. The Playbook highlights how a strong foundation of science-driven data can improve practices within the fashion industry and evaluate its current  environmental impact. The Playbook then builds on the data to create a culture that discourages fast fashion by  making overconsumption unappealing. To gain support for sustainable fashion, the Playbook outlines the role that  leaders within the fashion industry play in advocating for more sustainable dialogue and policy within Member  States; its detailed policy proposals make the Playbook a valuable resource for Member States and members of the  fashion industry alike. Together, these actions of the UN and its bodies have been at the forefront of the fight against  the harmful environmental impact of the fast fashion industry.

Conclusion:

The fashion industry is a booming global enterprise. Rising demand for affordable clothing has driven companies to use non-renewable synthetic materials to create garments faster and cheaper; however, this has come at the expense of the environment. The fast fashion model is driven by selling inexpensive but poor-quality and  disposable garments. The processes the fast fashion industry utilizes to produce, distribute, and discard garments continues to subject the environment to the triple planetary crisis, driving climate change, further environmental  degradation, and increased pollution. The global water supply continues to be especially vulnerable as the fast  fashion industry requires large amounts of water for production, and what water is leftover, is often polluted by  chemicals used in production or from microplastics released when garments are washed. If the fast fashion  industry continues as it currently operates, the extraction of materials will double by 2060, far beyond what the  planet is able to provide. As the fast fashion industry continues to feed the demand for cheap clothing and  frequent new styles, Earth’s natural and non-renewable resources continue to be depleted, threatening ecosystems dependent upon these materials. While international organizations, including the UN and UNEP, have made  policy to address the fast fashion industry, the non-binding nature of these resolutions allows the fashion industry to  continue polluting and utilizing unsustainable business practices at the environment’s expense.

Committee Directive 

Delegates are encouraged to build upon the actions previously taken to address this topic and consider ways to  encourage collaboration among MNCs, Member States, and other bodies of the UN or international organizations to  minimize the negative environmental impact of the fast fashion industry. Delegates should also analyze their  Member State’s relationship with the production, shipping, utilization, and disposal of the fast fashion industry. How  can policy be effective in facilitating a more sustainable fashion industry? What stakeholders need to be engaged to  ensure the shift to a sustainable fashion industry? What incentives could encourage the fashion industry to become  more sustainable? How can the UNEP-CPR discourage the consumption of fast fashion? What were the failures and  successes of past efforts to address the environmental impacts of the fast fashion industry? Delegates should focus  on strengthening and improving upon existing multilateral programs and initiatives rather than creating new bodies  within their committee or the UN.

Annotated Bibliography

Reducing the Environmental Impact of the Fast Fashion Industry 

• Ross, Emma. 2021. “Fast Fashion Getting Faster: A Look at the Unethical Labor Practices Sustaining a Growing  Industry.” International Law and Policy Brief. The George Washington University Law School.  https://studentbriefs.law.gwu.edu/ilpb/2021/10/28/fast-fashion-getting-faster-a-look-at-the-unethical-labor-practices sustaining-a-growing-industry/.

• George Washington University Law School frequently discusses the environmental impacts of the fast  fashion industry and gives valuable insight into the intersectionality of labor rights, environmental  legislation and regulation, and corporate neglect. “Fast Fashion Getting Faster: A Look at the Unethical  Labor Practices Sustaining a Growing Industry” provides a holistic understanding of unethical labor  practices and how they fuel the fast fashion industry’s ever-growing environmental footprint. Only about  2% of the industry’s 75 million factory workers make a livable wage, while many of them work 16-hour  days every day of the week, only to remain under the poverty line. This article expands on one of the  devastating byproducts of the fast fashion industry and how to hold the industry accountable for the lives of  its workers. 

• Petrie, Laila. 2023. “Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain.”  

• https://www.oneplanetnetwork.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/UNEP_Sustainability%20and%20Circularity%20in%20the%20Textile%20Value%20Chain%20- %20A%20Global%20Roadmap_0.pdf. 

• The United Nations Environment Programme guides Member States and industries toward sustainable development and frequently provides insight on the fast fashion industry’s contributions to climate change.  "Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain: A Global Roadmap" from the One Planet  Network outlines an extensive plan for creating a circular textile sector that aims to transform production  means by making products reusable and recyclable, ultimately eliminating waste. The textile industry not  only produces 9% of the ocean’s microplastic pollution but also wastes 215 trillion liters, or 86 million  Olympic-sized swimming pools, worth of natural water. This roadmap highlights the need for collaboration  in a variety of vital areas to create long-lasting solutions, as this is a multifaceted issue that impacts  multiple sectors, as well as consumers, producers, and Member States. This resource provides a plethora of  unique examples of sustainable solutions and clear guidelines for a better textile future. 

• Eamranond, Alyssa. “Mapping the Environmental Effects of Fast Fashion.” ArcGIS StoryMaps. December 17,  2021. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a4fea5c25c2549e08d58f161db6fa346. 

• StoryMap utilizes geographic information systems, images, and maps, and insights from industry experts to  illustrate the global impacts and complex nature of the fast fashion industry. “Mapping the Environmental  Effects of Fast Fashion” examines the industry’s impact in four areas of concern: Production, Shipping,  Consumption, and Disposal. Fast Fashion contributes to major environmental issues such as excessive  water consumption, pollution, and waste. The growth of the fast fashion industry causes constant negative  global impact and exacerbates climate change and other environmental hazards. This article and its visuals  serve as a tool for digesting complex information and facts from around the globe regarding the  consequences of the fast fashion industry and how more sustainable practices can benefit the global  environment. 

• Niinimäki, Kirsi. 2021. “From Fast to Slow: How to Construct a Better Balance in the Fashion System.”  Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. August 30, 2021. https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2021/08/30/from-fast-to slow-how-to-construct-a-better-balance-in-the-fashion-system/. 

• The Georgetown Journal of International Affairs at Georgetown University examines the intricacies of the  fast fashion industry through discussions of environmental justice and corporate responsibility. “From Fast  to Slow: How to Construct a Better Balance in the Fashion System” focuses on how this industry’s fast paced, quantity-driven approach has lasting impacts on the environment through water usage and textile  waste, and how to slow down rapid production methods to mitigate these detrimental effects. This industry  contributes about 4 billion tons or a tenth of global CO2 emissions, making it one of the largest consumers  of non-renewable resources, while about 20-30% of the items being made are never actually sold, worn, or  used, further contributing to a growing waste issue. This article offers various strategies for examining the  byproducts of fast fashion, as well as unique insight on how Member States can halt their wasteful methods  and begin improving practices to be more environmentally conscious. 

• Frank Church Institute Model United Nations extends its deepest gratitude to the Southern Regional Model United Nations (SRMUN) for allowing us to use their resources for our conference.