Conscious luxury pioneer Stella McCartney announced her delegation to COP28 alongside a sustainable innovation exhibit to be held during the conference – titled Stella McCartney’s Sustainable Market:
Representing the fashion industry, Stella McCartney and her team were also engaged in talks throughout the COP28 UN Climate Conference.
Among Stella McCartney’s new announcements and commitments were:
- Its 2023 Impact Report (detailing a wide range of achievements made in the 2022 calendar year)
- Renewed commitments to innovation and fossil fuel reduction across materials and processes throughout the production, sale and end of life of all Stella McCartney products
- Strategic partnerships with Mango Materials and Air Carbon to develop new innovations and materials from GHG emissions Upcoming 2024 Circular Design Guide to openly share sustainable circular design and materials knowledge, principles and guidelines across industries Launching a new innovation campaign with PETA to emphasize alternative and innovative materials for leathers, furs, feathers and fills
Stella’s Delegation
Stella’s delegation were focused on three key goals: advocating for policy and regulatory change to incentivise sustainable business and the decarbonisation of the industry; continuing a decades-long mission built around human and animal protection and welfare; and building a coalition of global government and business leaders to support and scale investment in a wide range of material and process innovations.
The fashion industry is estimated to be responsible for up to 8% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Adding to the challenge of reducing its GHG footprint is the expectation that the industry will continue to grow as a result of increased population and consumption patterns. The responsibility is on fashion brands, in collaboration with private and public leaders, to increase the speed of decarbonisation.
Stella McCartney’s Sustainable Market: Innovating Tomorrow’s Solutions
To inspire and educate on the possibilities of current cutting-edge or soon-to-be-available technologies, Stella McCartney hosted a groundbreaking exhibition at COP28 platforming the future of material innovation – showcasing over 15 next-gen pioneers alongside breakthroughs in regenerative agriculture, bio- and plant-based alternatives to plastic, animal leather and fur, and traditional fibres. Among them was a grape-based alternative to animal leather innovated in partnership with Veuve Clicquot, as well as the debut of the world’s first garments crafted from Protein Evolution’s biologically recycled, infinitely recyclable polyester.
The Sustainable Market concept was launched at Stella McCartney’s Summer 2024 runway show during Paris Fashion Week, with the installation continuing to evolve and travel over the coming year. The experiential installation will be enriched with a speaker series and workshops hosted by next-gen pioneers.
A Renewed Commitment to Increasing Innovation and Reducing Impact
In addition to advocating and collaborating to transform the fashion industry, Stella McCartney will continue to lead with bold sustainability ambitions – including a 2040 net-zero target. This includes cutting emissions across its supply chain by 46.2% by 2030 and developing projects that support supply chain partners, innovators and global communities in their climate-resilient journeys.
The brand is continuing to develop low-carbon solutions and invest in nature-based regenerative agriculture projects with carbon benefits that restore and protect natural ecosystems, and enhance the livelihoods of global communities. This includes its continued partnership with the SOKTAS regenerative agricultural programme in Turkey, in collaboration with LVMH and the UNECE.
In addition to these efforts, Stella McCartney proudly supports the development and scaling of the next generation of innovative materials and processes through SOS Fund, a $200M sustainable investment fund she co-founded with Collaborative Fund – with five start-ups in its roster at the CO28 Sustainable Market:
- NFW and Mirum
- Mango Materials
- Keel Labs
- Protein Evolution
- Brimstone
The other innovators and partners exhibiting at Stella’s COP28 exhibit include:
- Stella McCartney x Veuve Clicquot
- LVMH Life 360 and Maison/0
- Radiant Matter Biomaterials
- Chargeurs Luxury Fibers/NATIVA™️ regenerative wool
- SÖKTAŞ regenerative cotton
- Savian plant-based fur alternative
- PURE.TECH carbon-negative applications
Stella McCartney and Her Legacy of Leadership
Stella McCartney has been a trailblazer in sustainability and environmentally conscious fashion for over two decades. The brand is the world’s first luxury house to never use animal leather, feathers, fur or skins and adopted extensive sustainability principles following the Livestock’s Long Shadow Report in 2006, which correlated animal agriculture with climate harms.
Stella has since led as fashion’s conscience through a range of efforts: investing in cruelty-free alternatives, material and process innovations, strategic partnerships across industries, regenerative and nature-restoring practices, circular ambitions, transparency around impacts and communities, and far beyond.
Discover more about Stella McCartney’s sustainable future at StellaMccartney.com.
Stella McCartney: A Sustainable Future For Fashion and Beyond
