climateemergency

Is It Time to Give Up On The COPs?

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COP29 in Azerbaijan: oil and corruption for climate change


Is it time to give up on the COPs? Perhaps we need to question the relevance of these events altogether. This year, COP29 is being held in Azerbaijan – a petro-state notorious for corruption, where its CEO was secretly filmed while making gas and oil deals. 

But is this the climate action platform the world needs? Or is it a glaring sign of systemic failure?

“It’s unacceptable that a country that depends upon oil and doesn’t respect human rights is hosting COP29” – declared Greta Thunberg, who boycotted the event.

COP29 – Azerbaijan


The annual climate conference has sparked fierce criticism. In a divisive address, Azerbaijan’s president declared oil to be a “gift of God.” Meanwhile, with Trump’s recent election victory, there is growing concern that the climate emergency could vanish from the global agenda entirely.

Rupert Read, leader of The Climate Majority Project, reflected on the unfolding debacle: “The news that the head of COP was using COP to make gas deals is hardly even a surprise.”

This revelation underscores the troubling state of an institution increasingly out of step with its mission. However, Read sees a potential upside: growing scepticism around COP could catalyze the creation of meaningful alternatives. “What we need are coalitions of the willing – countries genuinely committed to action. COP was designed to fail.”

With the 1.5°C target now out of reach, the narrative must shift. Pretending that decarbonization alone will suffice is no longer viable. Instead, the focus must pivot to transformative and strategic adaptation. “In this context, adaptation, preparedness, and resilience-building aren’t optional – they are pivotal. These measures will determine whether humanity survives, let alone flourishes,” says Read.

Is it time to give up?


The future of the climate movement won’t hinge on a singular solution but rather a multiplicity of efforts. “The next big thing will be lots of things” – Read explains on his website. “It will emerge from millions of people with diverse backgrounds, talents, and needs, each finding their own part to play in something much, much larger. We could never actually construct such a movement. We can only do everything we can to make sure it happens.”

In conclusion, can these events still become platforms for real change, or is it time to move beyond? Is it time to give up on the COPs entirely?

Yes… it may sound rhetorical.

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Valencia’s Nightmare: Catastrophic Flooding & Human Inaction

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Climate change: what do we do with the information?


Valencia’s nightmare of catastrophic flooding wreaking havoc underscores a grim truth about climate change. Despite mounting evidence, human inaction remains the norm. 

So, “what do we do with the information?”
Rupert Read, author and professor of philosophy, poses this question as he reflects on this tragedy.

Valencia’s nightmare: flooding wreak havoc


In the span of just eight hours, Valencia was hit with a year’s worth of rain, resulting in more than 200 deaths. But this brutal event isn’t an isolated incident. Indeed, it mirrors extreme weather patterns seen in Italy and across the globe. And yet, our response remains inadequate in the face of such overwhelming evidence. There is a disturbing trend of growing numbness. A tendency to witness these catastrophes from a distance, accepting them as a new normal.

Climate emergency & humans inaction


Rupert Read’s poignant words, shared in a recent video, go straight to the heart of the issue:

“How do we handle the fact that people are suffering immensely because of the climate crisis and the response to that suffering doesn’t seem to be adequate? This is a very important dimension of the crisis that I don’t think has been fully understood yet. There is a gap between the amount of response, the amount in this case of, say, sadness we are feeling on the one hand, and the appropriate amount, on the other hand, of us collectively as a society, as a civilization. There isn’t nearly enough in the mass media about the immense suffering that the Spanish people are going through right now. And, about what it should mean to us.

Consider the idea of us being in a climate and ecological emergency, as a good reason for saying that we are, we are not treating collectively as an emergency. There is a gap between the actual emergency and the extent to which it’s being treated as an emergency.”


Read calls this crisis a “meta-emergency,” where our inability to treat the situation with the urgency it deserves amplifies the problem itself. He notes, “The meta-emergency is that we are not treating the emergency as an emergency. And that makes it so much worse. If we were responding adequately, we would be in a much better position than the one we find ourselves in today.”

In Read’s view, our collective failure to grasp the full scope of our environmental crisis is staggering. And this lack of recognition is a critical part of the problem. “This is the most troubling aspect of our failure,” he argues, “that it hasn’t even been fully recognized as a failure.” He advocates for a sweeping public inquiry on a global scale – a massive truth and reconciliation commission for climate, to understand how we’ve allowed things to go so terribly wrong for so long.

The emotional toll of these events also warrants attention. Read observes that our sadness, worry, and anger for the Spanish people don’t suffice. Instead, he identifies a secondary layer of sadness – “meta-sadness” – which arises from the inadequacy of our emotional response to these events.

What solution does Rupert Read offer?


So, Valencia’s nightmare of catastrophic flooding make us sad or angry but that is not enough. Read suggests that by recognizing our “meta-sadness” – our grief over our collective emotional inadequacy – we put ourselves in a better position to act. By acknowledging our insufficient responses, we open the door to more meaningful action. It’s a call to move beyond passive observation. And to challenge the systems that perpetuate this cycle of apathy and inaction.

This awareness could be the first step toward bridging the gap between understanding the problem and taking the decisive action required to address it.

Ultimately, only a true, intense, and profound awareness can wake us from this torpor, and push us toward collective action.

🖤 Dive into our latest post, and don’t hesitate to reach out. You can comment here below (just register first), or drop us an email or WhatsApp. We’d love to hear from you! Whether you have questions, feedback, or just want to say hello, we’re all ears. 

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Fashion Industry: Is it Business as Usual?

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Can the fashion business continue with the same old strategies?


If there were an award for stubbornly clinging to a “business as usual” model, the fashion industry would win without contest. In fact, during a time of deep crisis, there is no sign of change.

We have to admit that working in the fashion industry this month feels stranger than ever for us. Starting a new FW retail season while researching SS25 collections seems particularly surreal. Like living in a fashion bubble disconnected from reality. Indeed, we stay well-informed about current events through our virtual window. Despite the glaring flaws, brands, retailers, and insiders seem trapped in an exploitative and broken system they can neither dismantle nor escape.

Some data points from the fashion system


Just take a look at the fashion magazine headlines or tune into the news – the fashion industry is crumbling:

  • In Turkey, 15,000 textile companies filed for bankruptcy in the first seven months of 2024.
  • By the end of June, 107 shoe manufacturers in Italy had shut down.
  • China’s luxury market is stagnating.
  • At London Fashion Week, amid the market slowdown, designers pressed on. “Keep calm and carry on,” as Business of Fashion put it.
  • Italy’s footwear and leather goods sectors are in decline.
  • Warehouses across the industry are overflowing with unsold goods.

Milano Fashion Week started yesterday, with expectations of economic recovery in the second half of 2025. “The crisis is here, there’s no denying it, but it’s a period of 12-18 months during which the market has slowed down, only to be ready to pick up again afterwards,” says Carlo Capasa. Ok, but how do they actually plan to move forward?

The slowdown, climate emergency & business as usual


The slowdown in the fashion industry is undeniable. Yet, most continue to operate with business as usual. But does it really make sense to approach the fashion business as we always have? What are we trying to achieve by continuing with outdated strategies? Adding more overproduction to an already saturated market, and waiting for the economy to magically recover? Or, are we simply ignoring the problem, living in denial?

This seems to be neither a plan nor a recognition of the urgency of the crisis we’re facing.  Climate change and overproduction in the fashion industry with their devastating effects – exploitation of people and the planet, carbon emissions, and massive waste – are part of the same problem. 

Amid an existential climate and environmental emergency, it’s glaringly obvious that the fashion industry needs a complete systemic change. But how likely is that when all we see is business as usual?

🖤 Dive into our latest post, and don’t hesitate to reach out. You can comment here below (just register first), or drop us an email or WhatsApp. We’d love to hear from you! Whether you have questions, feedback, or just want to say hello, we’re all ears. 

Let’s start a conversation!

#formodernhumans

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What is the Problem with People?

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Modern lifestyle in the face of climate emergency


What is the problem with people? Why, in the face of a looming climate disaster, do they fail to take action and persist in irresponsible behaviours? This question is crucial in contemporary society.

Any serious reflection on the fashion industry, which is our focus, must consider the big picture – human nature, psychology, economics, philosophy, and more. Setting priorities and reaching a consensus on that.

“People don’t want to see” – Rupert Read


“At the end of the day, the problem is not that the people aren’t smart enough to see; it is that they don’t want to see. These people don’t want to face reality. But reality is starting to bite us.” So stated Rupert Read, an academic, former spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion, and current director of the Climate Majority Project, during a panel addressing climate emergency.

Investigating the reasons behind inaction in the face of an undeniably alarming reality, Rupert Read offers a sobering response. We seem to be heading toward the end of civilization.

However, these insights are crucial for any serious analysis of the fashion industry and the broader economic system. As we scrutinise the fashion system, revealing its outdated and irresponsible practices, we realise we are confronting a cultural issue. This issue is deeply embedded in our economic system and human nature.

For instance, consumer spending has skyrocketed because products are now designed to be disposable, necessitating continuous replacement. Despite the obvious unsustainability of this model, people seem unwilling to change their habits.

We chose to act now. That’s why we changed how we operate our fashion business: small, lean, independent, value-driven. We select a limited number of pieces – no packaging, no waste. But most don’t understand it’s an intentional radical choice. Good design, quality and fairly paid workers – therefore made-to-last products – don’t come at low prices.

Conclusion


In short, what is the problem with people? According to Rupert Read, it’s not that people don’t see; they prefer to deny reality. This denial allows them to maintain their lifestyle – shopping for cheap green-labelled garments, eating fast food, or taking frequent flights, yet opting for improbable sustainable hotels. So conscience is clear.

And you, what are you choosing to do?

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2023: A Pivotal Year in Climate History

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The climate crisis impact on the fashion industry


2023 represents a pivotal year in climate history. In a sobering report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), 2023 has emerged as the hottest year documented since 1850.

2023, the turning point in climate history


The global temperature surge has peaked at a staggering 1.48°C, alarmingly near the critical 1.5°C threshold. Specifically, September stands out as the hottest month on record, painting a stark reality check after the mockery of the recent climate summit in Dubai. In other words, the earth is about to cross the critical threshold, breaching the Paris Agreement target to keep global warming under that to prevent the most severe consequences.

Even if the world has not breached the 1.5° target, temperatures have surpassed the 1.5°C target on almost half the days of 2023, which sets a concerning precedent.

The cause behind this alarming spike is the unprecedented levels of carbon dioxide emissions, coupled with the return of the natural climate phenomenon, El Niño. Above all, our persistent inaction and procrastination in addressing necessary measures for 2050!

Immediate action, not in 2050!


So far, we’ve been grappling with droughts, wildfires, floods, and other extreme weather events. Now, it’s time to reconsider our approach to climate adaptation. Reshape it fundamentally.

What is the solution? It lies in immediate and concerted efforts to slash emissions. Now! Not in 2050! Every fraction of a degree in temperature rise intensifies the severity of catastrophic weather occurrences.

Fashion industry & climate emergency


The fashion industry is not immune to these effects, evidenced by the challenging sales of knitwear and outerwear during the Fall/Winter 23 season. Unfortunately, this hasn’t prompted significant shifts in how brands curate and sell their collections or how retailers conduct their buying and selling operations.

Fashion brands and corporations babble something about Net zero and green growth. But, their reluctance to embrace meaningful change relegates these promises to a vague future. A future far removed from the immediate concerns. And a future that when it becomes a reality, purchasing fashion items will be the last thing crossing people’s minds.

To the fashion industry: 2023 marks a crucial turning point in the history of our climate. What more do we need to witness before taking decisive action? What are we waiting for?

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