TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FASHION

NB: This is a hybrid event. Participants can join us in person in Milan (limited seating) or online via Microsoft Teams from anywhere in the world. When registering, please select your preferred attendance option.

Roundtables Context

This roundtable is organized with Milano Fashion Institute under the patronage of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) as part of the Ethical Fashion Initiative’s exhibition “The Cotton Road – A Journey from Seed to Garment”, taking place at 10 Corso Como, from September 25th to the 28th.

Background

Chemicals are an integral part of the fashion industry, present throughout the entire life cycle of garments. From the cultivation of natural fibres – where pesticides and fertilizers are commonly used – to textile production and processing, which involves a wide array of dyes, solvents, and finishing agents, chemicals play a central role in modern clothing manufacture. During the use phase, synthetic materials such as polyester can release microfibres, and certain dyes and treatments may have direct effects on the skin. At the end-of-life stage, discarded clothing contributes to environmental pollution through microplastics in water systems and the leaching of hazardous substances in landfills and incineration.

About the Event

This event will offer a platform for open discussion on the impact of chemicals in fashion and the transition towards more sustainable practices. It will feature a keynote address by the Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions, who will outline the global risks associated with chemicals in textiles. The BRS Conventions are international agreements that aim to protect human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes through sound management and international cooperation.

The programme will continue with presentations from various international organizations that are already taking action in this field. These include the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Trade Centre (ITC), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Objectives

• Reach out to the fashion world to have an open discussion on the use of chemicals in fashion and how hazardous uses and effects could be avoided, moving towards more sustainable fashion practices
• Share knowledge and good practices with international stakeholders
• Provide information on how UN entities and partners are working towards a safer and more sustainable textile sector

Opening remarks

• Paola Deda, Chair of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion
• Simone Cipriani, Dean of Milano Fashion Institute

Keynote

• Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Speaker Presentations

• UNECE: Lialiana Annovazzi-Jakab, Chief, Forests and the Bioeconomy Section
• FAO: Piedad Martin, Deputy Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment
• WIPO: Dalila Hamou, Director of External Relation
• BRS: Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
• UNEP: Bettina Heller, Coordinator of the UNEP Textile Initiative

Speakers

Paola Deda
Paola Deda is a leading voice at the crossroads of sustainability and fashion. As Director of the Forests, Land and Housing Division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva, she brings more than 25 years of experience driving global action on sustainable development. She is the Chair of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion and President of the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards, roles that allow her to bring together designers, innovators, and policy makers to push the industry toward a more responsible future.

Liliana Annovazzi-Jakab
Liliana Annovazzi-Jakab is a leader at the forefront of sustainable innovation, blending commercial experience with decades of impactful work at the United Nations. As Chief of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Forest and Bioeconomy Section, she oversees the sustainable wood-based fibers fashion portfolio, as well as crucial intergovernmental work and diplomacy.

Dalila Hamou
Ms. Hamou is Director of the External Relations Division at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). She has over 30 years of extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy, technical cooperation, and project design.

Bettina Heller
Bettina Heller coordinates the United Nations Environment Programme‘s Textile Initiative, which consolidates all of UNEP's textile work into a unified programme to radically and rapidly transform the sector to become sustainable and circular. Feeding into the Initiative, Bettina led development of knowledge products (such as UNEP‘s 2020 Global Stocktaking report, 2023 Global Roadmap report and the Sustainable Fashion Communicaton Playbook), facilitates an expert community, and coordinates country-projects (such as the EU-funded InTex project).

Piedad Martin
Piedad Martin has worked in sustainable development and international cooperation for 20 years and has extensive experience in intergovernmental, policy and field work on the environmental agenda and the “Leaving No One Behind” Nexus.

Rolph Payet
Dr. Rolph Payet, former Minister for Environment and Energy of Seychelles, has served as the Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions since 2014. A highly respected global authority on environmental policy, chemicals and waste management, climate change, ocean biodiversity, and island sustainability, Dr. Payet’s career spans academia, government, and international diplomacy.