Sustainable fashion transition towards net-zero future: A review of digital and material innovations, policies and regulatory framework
The fashion industry has long been linked to complex social and environmental issues like labour exploitation, resource depletion, and carbon emissions. In alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 12, 13, and 15, various sustainable fashion initiatives have emerged to mitigate the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Sustainable Futures |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825007257 |
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| author | Benjamin Tawiah Erin Cho Emmanuel A. Ofori Minyoung Suh Bin Fei |
| author_facet | Benjamin Tawiah Erin Cho Emmanuel A. Ofori Minyoung Suh Bin Fei |
| author_sort | Benjamin Tawiah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The fashion industry has long been linked to complex social and environmental issues like labour exploitation, resource depletion, and carbon emissions. In alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 12, 13, and 15, various sustainable fashion initiatives have emerged to mitigate the industry's impact on the economy, society, and the environment. While there has been extensive research on sustainable fashion, there are limited studies that simultaneously investigate the geospatial collaborative networks alongside a comprehensive systematic review of the digital and material innovations, policies, and regulatory frameworks that facilitate the transition to a net-zero future. This integrative systematic review critically examines the advancements in sustainable fashion transition towards net-zero over the last two decades. It was found that recent efforts in digital, materials, and process innovations, along with the enforcement of existing policies and regulatory interventions are accelerating the transition towards net-zero for the achievement of the ''Fashion Pact 2050″. The findings suggest that collaboration and partnerships are essential for advancing sustainable fashion, as they enable fashion brands, NGOs, and governmental entities to unite their diverse expertise to drive innovation and share best practices. Such collective efforts enhance the impact of sustainability initiatives, fostering a more effective transition toward a net-zero future in the industry. This article further provides practical recommendations and implications for industry, academia, and governments for accelerating the transition to net-zero fashion; making it a useful material for researchers, fashion businesses, funding organizations, and policymakers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4fb45e752674411cb0f27e7edbf8c8db |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-1888 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sustainable Futures |
| spelling | doaj-art-4fb45e752674411cb0f27e7edbf8c8db2025-08-20T05:07:53ZengElsevierSustainable Futures2666-18882025-12-011010116210.1016/j.sftr.2025.101162Sustainable fashion transition towards net-zero future: A review of digital and material innovations, policies and regulatory frameworkBenjamin Tawiah0Erin Cho1Emmanuel A. Ofori2Minyoung Suh3Bin Fei4School of Fashion and Textiles, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Industrial Art (Textiles and Fashion), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, PMB, Kumasi, GhanaSchool of Fashion and Textiles, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University of Automotive Technology, Hubei, ChinaTextile and Apparel, Technology and Management, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USASchool of Fashion and Textiles, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China; Corresponding author.The fashion industry has long been linked to complex social and environmental issues like labour exploitation, resource depletion, and carbon emissions. In alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 12, 13, and 15, various sustainable fashion initiatives have emerged to mitigate the industry's impact on the economy, society, and the environment. While there has been extensive research on sustainable fashion, there are limited studies that simultaneously investigate the geospatial collaborative networks alongside a comprehensive systematic review of the digital and material innovations, policies, and regulatory frameworks that facilitate the transition to a net-zero future. This integrative systematic review critically examines the advancements in sustainable fashion transition towards net-zero over the last two decades. It was found that recent efforts in digital, materials, and process innovations, along with the enforcement of existing policies and regulatory interventions are accelerating the transition towards net-zero for the achievement of the ''Fashion Pact 2050″. The findings suggest that collaboration and partnerships are essential for advancing sustainable fashion, as they enable fashion brands, NGOs, and governmental entities to unite their diverse expertise to drive innovation and share best practices. Such collective efforts enhance the impact of sustainability initiatives, fostering a more effective transition toward a net-zero future in the industry. This article further provides practical recommendations and implications for industry, academia, and governments for accelerating the transition to net-zero fashion; making it a useful material for researchers, fashion businesses, funding organizations, and policymakers.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825007257Sustainable FashionNet-zero fashionCircular economySustainable fashion policyCarbon footprint |
| spellingShingle | Benjamin Tawiah Erin Cho Emmanuel A. Ofori Minyoung Suh Bin Fei Sustainable fashion transition towards net-zero future: A review of digital and material innovations, policies and regulatory framework Sustainable Futures Sustainable Fashion Net-zero fashion Circular economy Sustainable fashion policy Carbon footprint |
| title | Sustainable fashion transition towards net-zero future: A review of digital and material innovations, policies and regulatory framework |
| title_full | Sustainable fashion transition towards net-zero future: A review of digital and material innovations, policies and regulatory framework |
| title_fullStr | Sustainable fashion transition towards net-zero future: A review of digital and material innovations, policies and regulatory framework |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustainable fashion transition towards net-zero future: A review of digital and material innovations, policies and regulatory framework |
| title_short | Sustainable fashion transition towards net-zero future: A review of digital and material innovations, policies and regulatory framework |
| title_sort | sustainable fashion transition towards net zero future a review of digital and material innovations policies and regulatory framework |
| topic | Sustainable Fashion Net-zero fashion Circular economy Sustainable fashion policy Carbon footprint |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825007257 |
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