During STICA’s 2024 Climate Action Week, Maxine Bédat and her colleagues from the NRDC and the New York State Assembly updated us on the arguments for and status of the New York Fashion Act. Since then more has happened. Similar bills have been introduced in California and Massachusetts. In this conversation, Michael asks Maxine to provide an update on the status of the bills, including how they address climate action specifically, if and how the bills align or differ, why she thinks they will be effective, and why there are no major industry organizations and only a few global brands officially supporting these bills.      “This is not counter to industry. This is a pro-industry bill. It sets the basic guardrails so the industry can thrive in the future.” “What doesn’t make sense to me is that the industry created these standards—and now they’re opposing them when asked to follow through.” “If you're not in favor of this bill and not actively promoting it, that is the position of the industry today. That’s a shocking and sad state of affairs.” For more information about this podcast and our guest expert, or to listen to other Climate Action Week 2025 podcast conversations, please visit: <a href= "https://sustainablefashionacademy.org/stica/climate-action-week-2025/">https://sustainablefashionacademy.org/stica/climate-action-week-2025/</a>

During STICA’s 2024 Climate Action Week, Maxine Bédat and her colleagues from the NRDC and the New York State Assembly updated us on the arguments for and status of the New York Fashion Act. Since then more has happened. Similar bills have been introduced in California and Massachusetts. In this conversation, Michael asks Maxine to provide an update on the status of the bills, including how they address climate action specifically, if and how the bills align or differ, why she thinks they will be effective, and why there are no major industry organizations and only a few global brands officially supporting these bills. “This is not counter to industry. This is a pro-industry bill. It sets the basic guardrails so the industry can thrive in the future.” “What doesn’t make sense to me is that the industry created these standards—and now they’re opposing them when asked to follow through.” “If you're not in favor of this bill and not actively promoting it, that is the position of the industry today. That’s a shocking and sad state of affairs.” For more information about this podcast and our guest expert, or to listen to other Climate Action Week 2025 podcast conversations, please visit: https://sustainablefashionacademy.org/stica/climate-action-week-2025/

During STICA’s 2024 Climate Action Week, Maxine Bédat and her colleagues from the NRDC and the New York State Assembly updated us on the arguments for and status of the New York Fashion Act. Since then more has happened. Similar bills have been introduced in California and Massachusetts. In this conversation, Michael asks Maxine to provide an update on the status of the bills, including how they address climate action specifically, if and how the bills align or differ, why she thinks they will be effective, and why there are no major industry organizations and only a few global brands officially supporting these bills.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “This is not counter to industry. This is a pro-industry bill. It sets the basic guardrails so the industry can thrive in the future.” “What doesn’t make sense to me is that the industry created these standards—and now they’re opposing them when asked to follow through.” “If you're not in favor of this bill and not actively promoting it, that is the position of the industry today. That’s a shocking and sad state of affairs.” For more information about this podcast and our guest expert, or to listen to other Climate Action Week 2025 podcast conversations, please visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://sustainablefashionacademy.org/stica/climate-action-week-2025/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://sustainablefashionacademy.org/stica/climate-action-week-2025/</a> &nbsp;

CLIMATE ACTION WEEK: Status Update: Will the New York and California Fashion Act bills pass?

Fashion and apparel. It touches nearly everyone. When its at its best, fashion and apparel is not only functional, but also fun, expressive, sexy, and for some businesses, very profitable. But when it is at its worst, fashion and apparel is superficial, exploitative, polluting and extremely wasteful - in other words the essence of unsustainable consumption. And while it is argued that the industry's rapid growth has created employment opportunities for more than 300 million people worldwide, especially for women in poorer countries and those in extreme poverty, many garment workers still struggle to earn enough to pay to meet even their most basic needs. More alarming is the fact that as the industry grows - by 2030 more than 8 billion people will live on the planet, and nearly 5 billion of these will be part of the global middle class - its negative environmental impacts may become unmanageable, potentially undermining its social benefits and contributing to ecosystem degradation on local, regional and global scales.

Who would have thought garments could be so destructive? 

The fashion industry must change now, but will we manage in time? Join Mike Schragger, founder of the Sustainable Fashion Academy, as he explores the challenges, incentives and disincentives and emerging solutions needed to rapidly transform the industry. Listen in as he talks with the business leaders, activists, researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs, investors, legislators, consumers and citizens - who are racing against the clock to find solutions that will transform the industry, thus ensuring it truly operates for the benefit of people and the planet.

www.sustainablefashionacademy.org/podcasts/big-closets-small-planet

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Fashion and apparel. It touches nearly everyone. When its at its best, fashion and apparel is not only functional, but also fun, expressive, sexy, and for some businesses, very profitable. But when it is at its worst, fashion and apparel is superficial, exploitative, polluting and extremely wasteful - in other words the essence of unsustainable consumption. And while it is argued that the industry's rapid growth has created employment opportunities for more than 300 million people worldwide, especially for women in poorer countries and those in extreme poverty, many garment workers still struggle to earn enough to pay to meet even their most basic needs. More alarming is the fact that as the industry grows - by 2030 more than 8 billion people will live on the planet, and nearly 5 billion of these will be part of the global middle class - its negative environmental impacts may become unmanageable, potentially undermining its social benefits and contributing to ecosystem degradation on local, regional and global scales. Who would have thought garments could be so destructive? The fashion industry must change now, but will we manage in time? Join Mike Schragger, founder of the Sustainable Fashion Academy, as he explores the challenges, incentives and disincentives and emerging solutions needed to rapidly transform the industry. Listen in as he talks with the business leaders, activists, researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs, investors, legislators, consumers and citizens - who are racing against the clock to find solutions that will transform the industry, thus ensuring it truly operates for the benefit of people and the planet. www.sustainablefashionacademy.org/podcasts/big-closets-small-planet

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CLIMATE ACTION WEEK: Status Update: Will the New York and California Fashion Act bills pass?

CLIMATE ACTION WEEK: Status Update: Will the New York and California Fashion Act bills pass?

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