Climate Action With Style: B Corps in the Ethical Fashion Industry Minimize

Environmental Impact Through Healthy Supply Chains

How the UN Sustainable Development Goals Can Shape (moldear – darle forma)
Better Business Practices and Drive (impulsar) Climate Action
Apr 21, 2021

The evolution of the fast fashion industry over the last few decades ushered (marcó el
comienzo) in high styles at lower prices. It also created an environmental cost in the
natural resources used in manufacturing and the landfill space (espacio de relleno
sanitario .- botaderos) taken up (absorbido) by discarded apparel (ropa desechada), as
well as the human cost for factory employees who put in (dedican) long hours at low
pay. 
As retail brands cranked up (aumentaron) speedy production of the latest looks
(ultimos diseños), they also consumed growing amounts of water and created higher
greenhouse gas emissions (emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero) (GHG). But
some ethical fashion companies are bucking (oponiendo) those trends, taking climate
action to reduce their water use and GHG while ensuring workers earn a living wage.
(obtengan un salario digno)
This stakeholder-oriented strategy includes a number of Certified B Corporations that
are creating apparel (indumentraria-ropa) made with the planet’s long-term health in
mind. Many of these fashion businesses are pairing (emparejando) their practices with
progress on the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs for short), which are a
collection of 17 interconnected goals that serve as a blueprint (modelo) to build a better
world for people and our planet by 2030.
By aligning their operations with the SDGs, B Corps and other businesses — in the
fashion industry and beyond — are reshaping (remodelando) their supply chains and
taking climate action to build positive impact. To help companies identify where they
can have the biggest impact and make progress on the SDGs, B Lab and the United
Nations Global Compact developed a free online tool, the SDG Action Manager.
Companies can use the SDG Action Manager to explore how each SDG interacts with
their business model, internal operations, supply chain, potential for collective action,
and risk of negative impact.
In honor of Earth Month 2021, B The Change talked with the leaders of three ethical
fashion industry B Corps about the ways they incorporate the SDGs into their everyday
practices to take positive climate action:
 Adila Cokar, of The Good Tee, an Ontario-based fashion company that focuses on
three SDGs. For SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, the B Corp aims
 (apunta) for a transparent supply chain by partnering (asociarse) with suppliers
(proveedores) who share a common vision of efficiency, openness, and transparency.
Its Fair Trade certification addresses SDG 1: No Poverty, by promoting sustainable
livelihoods (medios de vida) for farmers and workers while protecting fragile
ecosystems. For SDG 5: Gender Equality, Good Tee works Assisi Garments, a factory
in India operated by Franciscan nuns and sisters to support their old age home and
orphanage. 
 Shamini Dhana, Founder of Dhana Inc., a California-based fashion technology
company that currently (actualmente) focuses on eight SDGs. These include SDG 5:
Gender Equality, as a woman-owned and women-led company that employs women
from diverse groups and backgrounds; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth,
and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, with its circular fashion collection custom made by
a small apparel (indumentraria-ropa) studio in Columbus, Ohio, that meets high
standards for its work conditions: a safe environment, regular hours, and fair pay. For
SDG 13: Climate Action, Dhana conducts Life Cycle Assessments (lleva a cabo
evaluaciones del ciclo de vida) on all products and has signed the NetZero 2030
commitment (compromiso) to reduce GHG by the end of this decade. And for SDG 12:
Responsible Consumption and Production, Dhana reduces waste and pollution through
repurposing (reutilización), upcycling (re-ciclaje), and using take back programs
to incentivize the consumer to be part of the solution.
 Michelle Sheldon, President of Eco Promotional Products Inc., which currently touches
(aborda) on 12 of the 17 SDGs through its work. The Illinois-based, woman-owned
small business focuses on reducing waste through all of its product sourcing (cadena
de abastecimiento), not only apparel (indumentraria-ropa). As Sheldon says, “This
comes with a lot of other benefits to help innovation, ensure sustainable consumption,
promote healthy living and inclusivity, protect land and water, and try to combat climate
change. Instead of adding SDGs, we are trying to be stronger and louder about the
ones we already touch on. It’s a lot and there is so much work to be done.” Its focus
includes SDG 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 5: Gender Equality; and SDG 8: Decent Work and
Economic Growth.  
These B Corps share more lessons and suggestions for businesses — apparel and
otherwise — seeking more sustainable solutions and practices that reduce their impact
on the environment and improve the welfare (bienestar) of the people in their
communities.
How has your B Corp aligned/shifted (modificado) its business practices to
advance progress on the SDGs? How has this affected your supply chain
companies? Any adjustments to employee practices?
Michelle Sheldon: Back in 2015, a year before we became B Corp Certified, Eco
Promotional Products Inc. began creating products for the UN promoting the SDGs.
Since our inception (inicios) in 2008, we have based our supply chain research around
the UN Global Compact. With a turbulent political climate in recent years and B Corp
bringing more awareness (conciencia) to the SDGs, we have since updated our vetting
process (proceso de investigación). 
We strive (esforzamos) to investigate if and how our supply chain is helping to move
the needle (aguja) toward a more just future based around the SDGs and are creating
our own score card for our supply chain. We’re partnering (asociando) with suppliers
(proveedores) with more transparency and those actively involved in vetting
(investigación) their process through the Fair Labor Association and other third-party
(externos) verifiers.
Shamini Dhana: Dhana is empowering (capacitando) customers to value people
(social) and planet (environment) every step of the way through the creation of their
own fashion. The SDGs align with Dhana’s vision and ability to report and manage how
we use business to “unite humanity through fashion.” In 2019 Dhana published
the WearOurValues report, which looked (analzó) at brand-customer value alignment
in the fashion industry and found that 97% of the over 5,000 respondents
(encuestados) demanded greater transparency in the fashion industry. That has
prompted us (nos ha llevado) to advocate for consumers and empower them to drive
impact through the medium of fashion. Additionally, we showcase (mostramos) our
supply chain partners and teams to honor their work and provide a connection to the
hearts and hands behind each piece of garment (prenda) created. Our employees are
proud and, more than ever, empowered to be part of the solutions to climate change
and social justice.
The Good Tee’s transparent practices include sharing information about its supply chain
partners. 

Adila Cokar: The Good Tee is only a year old, so we are still new and learning from
partners to make improvements. As a B Corp we are grateful to learn so much about
inclusivity, which also includes age. As a fashion brand we recognize that our elders do
not have fair representation in the media and felt we could do better. We’ve started on
our blog a #goodgen series where we interview inspirational seniors and to mitigate
ageism (discriminación por edad). We are also adding more seniors to model our
products. We are working toward increasing our size ranges also and as the company
grows we can allocate (asignar) budget to add larger sizes.

Why is it important for companies in the apparel industry (industrias de la

confección) to take the lead on sustainability and environmental protections?
Sheldon: This question highlights (resalta) a lot of scary topics — unfair labor
practices, worker safety, fair pay, discrimination, human trafficking, and so much more.
Too many garment workers (trabajadores de la confección) are forced to work
unreasonable hours at ridiculously low wages (salarios); child labor is used and they
are considered sweatshops (talleres clandestinos). Cheap apparel (ropa barata) comes
at a huge human rights cost. Consume smarter; pay a bit more if you know it does not
sacrifice the well-being of others to protect our people, planet, and profit.
Dhana: Every second the equivalent of a truck filled with clothing ends up (termina) in
the garbage — over 70% of clothing in the almost $3 trillion fashion industry ends up in
the landfill (vertedero). This linear business model needs to move toward a circular and
regenerative business model. Embracing (adoptar) circularity means valuing people
and planet every step of the way. When customers co-create through circular fashion,
we amplify how we as people have a choice to make an impact on social and
environmental issues that we value.
People in Generation Z are demanding solutions to the current state of waste
(desechos) and pollution created by fashion as they are driving (impulsando) the resale
of clothing industry ($24 billion market today), so fashion companies and brands need
to adhere to the call of this growing customer base if they plan to be in business in the
near future. This is demonstration of not only support for sustainability but also being
transparent and accountable (responsable) of the treatment of employees and workers
in the supply chain they rely on (dependen). The brand’s identity is an extension of the
social and environmental footprint they are impacting on a day-to-day basis. This is the
real deal. 
Cokar: The apparel industry is the second-largest polluter in the world next to oil and is
extremely complex for industry newcomers to navigate. In addition, the 2013
manufacturing building collapse in Bangladesh put a huge stigma on offshore
manufacturing (fabricación en el extranjero). However (sin embargo), overseas
manufacturing provides access to a wider range of resources to get the job done.
These families and individuals in this industry have been doing this for generations and
have a very special skill. Their jobs are not that easily replaced and people are
counting on us to bring them work. Also, contrary to what people in North America
hear, clothing can be made both sustainably and ethically. 

How have your stakeholders (customers, employees, community) reacted to

SDG-aligned work?
Sheldon: Our business model flourishes (prospera) because we work with like-minded
people (personas con ideas afines), including our employees, customers, and
community partners. It would be more beneficial to bring more awareness (conciencia)
and education to those outside our network. It’s been a very challenging year, and I
see great potential in creating change now more than ever. People are ready to listen
and ready to see what they could not or did not want to see before. Now that our eyes
are open, it’s time to make real change happen.
Any tips or suggestions for other businesses starting to incorporate the SDGs
into their work?
Dhana: Spend time in understanding the “why” of your business value proposition and
the connection of the product you offer to the impact you will create with your
stakeholders. Once you understand this holistic approach (enfoque holistico) to what
you truly value, it will become easier and evident to articulate the SDGs that matter
(que son importantes) to your company. 
Cokar: Take baby steps — this is a learning process. Take your time to understand
your values and integrate them into your business.