Big Fashion is Falling Behind on Clean Heat and Climate Action: Fashion Revolution

A new “What Fuels Fashion?” report from Fashion Revolution throws a harsh spotlight on global fashion’s climate performance, analysing 200 of the world’s largest brands with a combined turnover exceeding USD 2.7 trillion in 2025.

Tracking over 70 indicators – spanning accountability, decarbonisation, energy procurement, financing, just transition, and advocacy – the report exposes deep gaps in both transparency and urgent action, especially when it comes to deploying clean, fossil-free energy for textile manufacturing.

Electrification: The Key to Decarbonising Fashion

The report underlines that “clean heat” – the generation of renewable, fossil-free thermal energy for manufacturing – remains the sector’s greatest lever for reducing emissions. Unlike heavy industries, fashion can adopt electric solutions with relatively low barriers, thanks to technologies like heat pumps and electric boilers already available for high-heat processes, including dyeing, drying, and printing. Yet, action is conspicuously absent from industry leaders.

Only 18 percent of brands disclose coal phase-out targets that cover crucial textile processing stages. None of them have targets that include purchased steam, a significant omission that leaves coal entrenched in fashion’s extensive supply chains.

Moreover, just 10 percent have public supply chain renewable electricity targets, and an even smaller fraction (6 percent) disclose broader renewable energy targets, revealing a stark shortfall in credible plans for clean energy adoption.

The report also highlights that only 7 percent of brands report any initiative to electrify their high-heat procedures, despite proven and commercially available solutions.

As Liv Simpliciano, Head of Policy & Research at Fashion Revolution, warns, “The path to decarbonisation will be won or lost by how fashion tackles heat… If fashion fails to act, it jeopardises its integrity in a world moving beyond fossil fuels—and with it, the health, safety, and dignity of the people who make our clothes.”

Jan Rosenow, Professor of Energy and Climate Policy at Oxford University, reinforces the urgency, “The textiles industry can lead by example: because process heat rarely exceeds 250°C, it has the potential to move entirely away from fossil fuels. The possibility is here—now companies must commit and set clear strategies to enable the transition.”

Accountability and Traceability: Still Out of Fashion

The report paints a troubling picture of brand accountability.

Ninety brands, more than 45 percent assessed, scored zero on the traceability section, including nearly 60 percent of publicly listed companies. This means major investors are left blind to both climate risks and decarbonisation opportunities hidden deep in supply chains, a critical ESG gap that undermines industry claims of climate and social alignment.

While just over half (55 percent) of brands disclose having Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)-verified goals covering emissions across Scopes 1–3, fewer than a third (29 percent) present evidence of actually reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from baseline.

Supplier engagement remains rare. Only 20 percent consult suppliers on climate targets and just 9 percent co-create adaptation solutions – approaches that could make both decarbonisation and climate resilience more robust and tailored to real-world contexts.

Energy Sourcing: A Matter of Accounting, Not Impact

A significant number of brands (60 percent) disclose energy sourcing for their owned operations, but a mere 11 percent extend this transparency to their supply chains, where the majority of climate impacts occur.

Brands’ reliance on Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) rather than real-time renewable energy means that much of the reported decarbonisation is more about accounting than genuine climate responsibility.

No brand has disclosed efforts to source supply chain power from 24/7 renewable energy, a benchmark the sector must now prioritise.

Financing Change: Clarity Severely Lacking

Decarbonising fashion’s supply chains demands upfront investments and ongoing supplier support, yet only 6 percent of brands disclose capital investments in renewable energy or efficiency, with just 2 percent reporting operational cost support or supply chain adaptation finance. This opacity leaves climate finance an ineffective guessing game.

Protecting Workers Amid Rising Heat

Extreme heat threatens garment workers’ health, yet no brands disclose factory-level heat and humidity data—known as Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). Public disclosure of WBGT is vital to empower unions, inform brands about adaptation costs like cooling, offer investors metrics to evaluate risks, and unlock protective tools such as parametric insurance.

‘Clean Heat for Cool Work’

Fashion Revolution and Action Speaks Louder propose the “Clean Heat for Cool Work” framework to replace coal, gas, and biomass boilers with electric technologies like industrial heat pumps.

This shift would simultaneously cut greenhouse gas emissions and enhance workers’ health by reducing heat stress and indoor pollution. The framework calls for public factory heat data disclosure to track progress, combining low-cost monitoring with high-investment solutions.

Fashion Campaign Manager Ruth MacGilp states, “Fashion brands love to promote innovative new products, but the Victorian-era reality of burning coal and wood to manufacture these products is quietly swept under the rug. As access to renewable energy and clean heat technologies grows globally, fashion brands have the responsibility to address their dependence on toxic fuels and safeguard the wellbeing of workers and communities.”

Industry Leaders and Laggards

The overall average brand score rates at a dismal 14 percent.

Thirty-nine major brands scored 0 percent, including Aeropostale, Anthropologie, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Beanpole, Belle, Billabong, Bosideng, Buckle, Champion, Chico’s, Deichmann, Dillards, DSW, Eddie Bauer, Express, Fashion Nova, Forever21, Free People, Heilan Home, Hudson’s Bay, Lands’ End, LC Waikiki, LL Bean, Max Mara, New Yorker, Nine West, Quiksilver, Reebok, REVOLVE, Roxy, Saks Fifth Avenue, Semir, Smart Bazaar, Ted Baker, TOPVALU COLLECTION, Tory Burch, Urban Outfitters, Van Heusen, Youngor.

On the high end, the top scorers include H&M at 71 percent, Oniverse (Calzedonia, Intimissimi, Tezenis) at 63 percent, Puma at 51 percent, OVS at 49 percent, Gucci at 47 percent, Gildan at 46 percent, Lululemon at 39 percent, ASICS at 38 percent, Adidas at 37 percent, Hanes at 37 percent, and Hermès at 36 percent.

About Fashion Revolution

Fashion Revolution is the largest global fashion activism movement, mobilising citizens, industry, and policymakers through research, education, and advocacy. Its international network spans 76 countries, united in a vision for a fashion industry that restores the environment and values people over profit.

The “What Fuels Fashion?” report assesses 200 billion-dollar brands on their efforts to adopt “clean heat”—renewable thermal energy solutions like heat pumps and electric boilers for manufacturing processes. The International Energy Agency recommends fashion brands aim for 100% electrification and renewable energy across all sources in their supply chains by 2040 to meet global climate commitments.

This critical report reveals that, while the possibility for a fossil-free fashion future exists now, the industry’s current commitments and actions fall far short, jeopardising climate goals and workers’ wellbeing. The time for brands to act decisively on clean heat and transparent decarbonisation is now.