Google Cloud to collaborate with Stella McCartney in sustainable fashion industry pilot
Google announced today that it is collaborating with Stella McCartney in a pilot to drive the fashion industry toward sustainability. Nick Martin, Head of Retail at Google Cloud, emphasises the importance of retail companies taking responsibility for its waste, as the industry is responsible for a large amount of emissions. According to the UN environment, the fashion industry is responsible for 20% of wastewater and 10% of carbon emissions globally.
This is a mammoth task as there is a distinct lack of transparency across the earlier stages of production, according to Martin. Google has worked closely with Current Global to develop cloud-based technology to collect data for analysis.
The Stella McCartney brand is at the forefront of sustainability in the fashion industry. The fashion brand has assisted in the launch of the UN Fashion Industry Charter for climate change and more recently Stella McCartney Cares Green.
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Stella McCartney shared its enthusiasm: “At Stella McCartney we have been continuously focusing on looking at responsible and sustainable ways to conduct ourselves in fashion, it is at the heart of what we do. We are trying our best –we aren’t perfect, but we are opening a conversation that hasn’t really been had in the history of fashion.”
To pilot this, Google Cloud will focus on collecting and analysing data of cotton and viscose, the former of which accounts for 25% of materials used by the fashion industry. Both materials also have a large carbon footprint. The data will not only be used to measure the impact of producing these materials, but also on how they vary depending on region.
If this pilot is successful, then Google Cloud and Stella McCartney will pioneer the future of sustainability in the fashion industry by making their product into an open, industry-wide tool. This will help ensure The UN’s Fashion Industry Charter’s commitment to greenhouse gas emissions in the fashion industry by 30% by 2030.
