Its meaning and importance for textile companies

Decarbonization is the process of reducing or eliminating emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), one of the greenhouse gases.

Since the Industrial Revolution, economic development has been based on the availability of low-cost energy derived from fossil resources, which are deposits formed millions of years ago as a result of the decomposition of plants and other organisms, including coal, oil and natural gas. Their use as fuel or material causes the release of carbon dioxide absorbed during their lifetime into the atmosphere, in fact 'emitting' the carbon dioxide they absorbed from the atmosphere millions of years ago into the present atmosphere, which is a problem that cannot be ignored if we consider that the increase in carbon dioxide is one of the main reasons for the upward trend in the average temperature of the earth.

In 2015, under the Paris Agreement, 189 countries pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with the goal of limiting the increase to well below 1.5°C. It should be remembered that in 2017, US President Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Agreement in November 2020.

The fashion industry has also taken decisive action on this issue, with more than 60 major international fashion brands joining the Fashion Pact proposed during the G7 meeting in 2019 and setting a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The term 'carbon neutrality' means that a company's net greenhouse gas emissions are equal to zero.

For a company, the main way to achieve carbon neutrality is to absolutely reduce its own emissions by choosing renewable energy, optimizing logistics, and reducing emissions in its supply chain. Therefore, suppliers of brands that have made a carbon neutral commitment will receive requests for information on greenhouse gas emissions and the adoption of energy, production processes and materials with lower emissions.

The concept of net emissions opens up a further path towards carbon neutrality , although carbon neutrality remains a controversial topic. This is the 'offsetting' generated through the financing of other emission reduction projects. A typical example is the financing of reforestation projects according to the following equation: more plants = greater absorption of CO2 present in the atmosphere. These projects can be converted into 'carbon credits' (emission reduction certificates) that can be traded on the market. A company that is unable to reduce its absolute emissions can reduce its net emissions by purchasing 'carbon credits' according to the following formula: Net emissions = (company emissions) - (CO2 saved by the entity that sold the 'carbon credits' to the company). This solution can reach zero net emissions after doing everything possible to reduce its own emissions and those of its supply chain. As the main tool for carbon neutrality , it is far from enough.

--------------------------------------------------------

Articles, pictures from the Internet

If there is any infringement

Please contact to delete