Deforestation and the Fashion Industry’s Impact
Welcome to The Eco Weirdos, a monthly column from Stella McCartney.
As a woman-led brand, we have always stood out. At Stella McCartney, we are proud to be eco-weirdos, and hope you will join us in our mission to end the needless deaths of animals and the environment for fashion.
Our Autumn 2023 collection is rooted in a love for trees with nature as our forever inspiration. Between World Environment Day, World Oceans Day and World Rainforest Day, this June we have been fully immersed in considering how we can be even kinder to Mother Earth — especially by protecting the world’s forests. At Stella McCartney, we believe we are responsible for the resources we use and the impact we have on the environment. Mother Earth’s trees and forests provide us with essential ecosystem services, and we are committed to responsibly sourcing our forest-friendly viscose in order to treasure and protect the natural environments we depend on.
Deforestation and the fashion industry’s impact
Trees, woodlands and forests are integral for life on Mother Earth. The lungs of our planet, trees provide us with clean air, fresh water and support local and indigenous communities. Deforestation remains one of the biggest problems we face in terms of slowing climate change, preserving biodiversity and supporting our fellow communities.
The most common causes of deforestation are illegal logging and unsustainable forest management. A report by Canopy highlighted that more than 300 million trees are logged annually and turned into cellulose-based fabric like viscose and rayon. Of this, an estimated 30% of viscose is crafted from pulp sourced from our precious ancient and endangered forests. With forest ecosystems home to around 80% of the species we share Mother Earth with, habitat change and loss due to fashion’s reliance on agriculture is a key driver of biodiversity loss.
We believe there is a better way.
With the mass destruction of trees, we are sacrificing the important, long-term benefits of standing trees simply for the short-term gain of fuel, animal agriculture and manufacturing materials. Our planet’s forest ecosystems are home to around 80% of the species we share Mother Earth with. Not only do we face losing our trees’ natural carbon sinks, we’re rapidly destroying the habitats of Mother Earth’s beloved creatures and, in turn, the precarious biodiversity balance.
Ancient and endangered forests and woodlands are especially precious: they provide clean air, fresh water and carbon capture functions at an efficiency and scope that simply cannot be replicated. Home to a sea of native communities of plants, fungi, insects and beyond, our ancient woodlands are irreplaceable. Sadly, only 2.5% of our original British ancient woodlands remain (The Woodland Trust). Trees can be replanted and ‘grow back’, but trees are not a forest (Canopy). Older trees sequester more carbon and are essential in maintaining ecosystem resilience and even protecting against devastating droughts and forest fires; ancient forests are abundant systems that, if disrupted, causes a ripple effect that impacts soil health, the abundance of wildlife and biodiversity, and even waterways.
The ancient forest-friendly viscose that has become a signature at Stella McCartney is always responsibly sourced. We have partnered with Canopy, a non-profit organisation that protects the world’s forests with its innovative initiatives, since 2014 to ensure that our viscose wood pulp does not come from any ancient, endangered or protects forests. Instead, our viscose is made from FSC-certified wood pulp from responsibly managed Second Growth forests in an equally responsible supply chain. The forests we source from are managed in accordance with strict standards — preventing deforestation, protecting biodiversity, engaging local and indigenous communities and having undertaken rigorous audits.
All our viscose is fully traceable back to its country of origin — a level of transparency that we are incredibly proud of and will build upon. Trees are harvested responsibly, preventing deforestation and no net loss of forests over time.
Sign our Canopy × Stella McCartney petition, calling upon decision makers to commit to the ‘Nature Needs Half’ initiative to conserve 50% of the Earth’s land and water by 2030.
Canopy’s work in advancing forest conservation
Canopy is a non-profit organisation that protects the world’s forests with its innovative initiatives. It works closely with packaging and fashion industry partners, transforming unsustainable supply chains, building and innovating solutions and, most importantly, keeping the world’s vital forests standing. To date, Canopy has played a ‘pivotal role’ in securing large-scale conservation across 39 million acres of ancient and endangered forests in Indonesia, Canada’s Boreal Forest and North America’s temperate rainforests.
Its Hot Button annual report is a leading sourcing analysis tool for the fashion industry, focusing on forests. Canopy’s report is essential for brands looking to source from ‘green shirt’ producers — those which Canopy deems have met the requirements of brands and retailers that are eliminating the use of ancient and endangered forests.
At Stella McCartney, we use the Hot Button annual report to continually ensure that our suppliers are always improving their practices, as well as encouraging closed-loop chemical systems and nurturing the shift away from virgin wood pulp to incorporating NextGen Solutions and recycled inputs. Along with other fashion brands, we have joined the pledge to purchase 550,000 tonnes of sustainable alternatives to materials sourced from ancient and endangered forests.
Next Gen Solutions innovate Next Gen viscose from agricultural residues like leftover wheat straw or pre-loved cotton or microbial cellulose. Alongside smarter logistic systems and product design, Next Gen Solutions enable business to use less raw resources. In fact, compared to conventional wood pulp viscose, Next Gen alternatives use on average:
- 90% less water
- 70% less energy
- Far lower and greener chemical inputs.
Our Stella vision is to eventually shift away from virgin wood pulp inputs entirely, moving to Next Gen Solutions and recycled pulp inputs to meet our viscose needs.
Learn more about our forest-friendly viscose and material innovation commitments.
A return to Stella’s roots: Stella McCartney’s Autumn 2023 collection
Our Autumn 2023 collection gets back to Stella’s roots, reinforcing iconic styles and bringing them into the now with contemporary details, cuts and pioneering materials. It is an ageless wardrobe, inspiring youthful adventurousness and timeless sophistication. With 94% of ready-to-wear styles made from conscious materials, it is Stella McCartney’s most nature-positive collection to date.
From our ancient forest-friendly viscose — the focal material of the collection — to the woodgrain-inspired tree bark jacquards and prints, nature is our forever inspiration, emphasising a love for trees.
Stella McCartney is a conscious luxury pioneer. Since the brand launched in 2001, it has emboldened confident femininity with elevated yet effortless fashion — crafted from innovative, responsible materials. It is committed to being an ethical and modern company, believing it is responsible for the resources it uses and the impact it has on the environment.
Discover more about Stella McCartney on stellamccartney.com.
