Crypto News: Why fashion’s green push is failing

Global fashion brands have made splashy pledges to curb their climate footprint as consumers demand greener options. Today’s edition shows how those efforts are struggling, with the sector’s emissions rising.

The latest edition of the Zero podcast looks at the climate impacts putting mountain communities at greater risk of disasters like Nepal’s deadly flood. And in China, solar officially surpassed coal as the top source of power capacity.

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Fading effort to curb emissions

By Olivia Raimonde

The fashion industry’s greenhouse gas emissions climbed in 2023 and 2024 due in part to increased global production of fiber, especially polyester, according to a new report by the Apparel Impact Institute.

Employees working in a clothing sewing workshop in Guangzhou, China.

Apparel-sector emissions rose 6.3% in 2024, following an increase of 7.5% the previous year; the year prior to that, emissions declined slightly. 2024 is the most recent year for which the institute has data.

Fashion emissions that year were roughly 1 gigaton — about the same as the entire climate footprint of Japan.

“The trend is one that’s quite concerning,” said Kurt Kipka, chief impact officer at the institute, a nonprofit that aims to improve sustainability within fashion. “It is a clear sign of increased usage of materials.”

He highlighted cost as a significant hurdle for the industry in its efforts to decarbonize. Virgin polyester continues to be cheaper and more available than recycled material, he said.

Now, as volatility caused by the Iran war is driving up energy prices, Kipka said it shows the need for clothing producers to look to alternatives to oil and gas.

The sector faces a 34% drop in profits by 2030, the institute found in separate research, with supply-chain disruptions and higher operating expenses unless companies act quickly to rein in their carbon pollution.

Delayed target

2050

The new deadline for fashion brand Burberry Group Plc to hit net zero emissions, a decade later than an original goal.

Cleaner power

“That’s where renewable energy sources and onsite battery storage become a more attractive proposition.”

Kurt Kipka

Chief impact officer, Apparel Impact Institute

Kipka discusses methods for fashion producers to cut energy costs along with emissions.

Your Zero listen

Zero

Climate Change is Making Mountains Less Stable

On the morning of August 26, a glacial collapse in the Himalayas triggered a flash flood that sent ice, mud, rocks and fast-moving water through a valley in Nepal, wiping out entire communities. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi is joined by Lou Del Bello, who has been reporting on the disaster for Bloomberg News from New Delhi. They discuss what can be done to keep mountain communities safe, and why events like this are likely to become more frequent in a warming world.

Listen now, and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or YouTube to get new episodes of Zero every Thursday.

Solar tops coal in China

By Felix Tam

Solar panels are now China’s top source of power capacity, surpassing coal in a key milestone for the country’s green-energy boom.

Solar capacity reached 1,286 gigawatts at the end of July, accounting for 31.5% of total installed power generation, China Central Television reported, citing the National Energy Administration. The China Electricity Council had earlier flagged that solar was just 1 gigawatt behind coal at the end of June.

China remains the dominant player in the global solar supply chain, with investment in the sector expected to top 2 trillion yuan ($298 billion) over the next five years, the report added. Solar generation rose 15.5% from a year earlier to 802.4 billion kilowatt-hours in the first seven months of 2026, about one-eighth of the country’s total.

🎥 Attention all filmmakers!

Working on a short documentary about climate change? Don’t miss your chance to submit it to the Bloomberg Green Docs film competition. Grand prize: $25,000. Submissions will be accepted through October 2, 2026.

See official rules at bloomberg.com/greendocs.

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