Interview with European Commissioner for Climate Action

CLASS interviewed Connie Hedegaard, EU Commissioner for Climate Action, about the World you like campaign. The campaign involves also of the clothing and textile industries.

Which were the results and what were the differences between each event and every cities? How themes have been chosen?

Connie Hedegaard, EU Commissioner for Climate Action: «All five events were extremely successful and led to stimulating discussions between citizens, business, environmental organisations and politicians about how a low-carbon future could benefit both the climate and society. The events covered the main themes of the World you like campaign: the Warsaw and Sofia events focused on increased energy efficiency, while in Vilnius we looked at the benefits of reducing and re-using waste. In Lisbon, we discussed climate-friendly transport options. We concluded in Milan with a debate on how to make our consumption more sustainable followed by a sustainable fashion show. The events created a lot of interest and we heard about numerous inspiring initiatives. Many participants expressed their desire to share these ideas and work collectively to develop them. We will continue this interesting dialogue on our Facebook and on Twitter/ #worldulike

What do you think about textile world effort in sustainability? We are referring to research, innovation and technological development that are moving this sector with a particular attention to sustainability. It is a very sensitive argument to us (C.L.A.S.S.), since we have been invited to the panel of discussion 

C.H. : «There is a lot of good work being done in the fashion industry to promote sustainable fashion but this of course needs to be scaled up. There are new innovations and techniques that are reducing the impact of the clothing industry on the environment, from the choice of sustainable materials to new ways to dye fabrics, digital printing, and online tools that help people choose the right size clothes, reducing the amount that need to be returned. But we need to bring the sustainability dimension away from the fringes and into the mainstream of fashion. All of us can help with that. As consumers we are very influential. If, for example, we buy more clothes made of organic fibres, we can give a signal to the shops and to the fashion industry to offer more sustainable clothes. We should think about our clothes purchases in the same way we would think about buying a new car or fridge and base our choice at least partly on environmental considerations – like the amount of energy used to produce and maintain it. Every kilo of new clothes bought results in some 25kg of CO2 emissions – the equivalent of powering a lamp for nearly 20 days.

I believe that if consumers are aware of the benefits, they will opt for sustainable choices, even if that means paying a little more. Sustainable business is good business, whether it’s in the car industry, the food industry or the fashion industry. Thanks to work done by environmentally conscious fashion labels like C.L.A.S.S., the word is spreading. The fashion industry is changing. As we saw in Milan, style and sustainability can go hand in hand. Now let’s work together to make sustainable fashion the new trend.»

In a groundbreaking development for the textile industry, C.L.A.S.S., an advocate for sustainable innovation, proudly highlights the achievements of its partner, ERCA Textile Chemical Solutions, with their latest innovation, REVE…