Buying Sustainable Fashion at the UN - Joan Moderates Climate Week
Release Date: 12/10/2024
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“We did lots of infrastructure investments over the last handful of years to make sure our communities are in the best possible place they can be. And we complemented federal investment with workforce investment to ensure Michiganders are getting access to those kinds of roles, some of which didn't even exist previously. [This ensures] that Michigan communities could benefit from learning to be solar installers and get access to new economic income streams.” Hilary Doe on Electric Ladies Podcast The Justice Department is suing Michigan over its climate initiatives under the Clean Air...
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“Blue state pension funds are doubling down on sustainability while red state pension funds are firing you. Companies are challenged because for some constituencies, they have to demonstrate their sustainability credentials, and for others, they have to hide them. So it's a really challenging time. But if you can demonstrate the business case, then maybe you can navigate being more proactive with those constituencies that really want this, and alleviating the risks with those constituencies that don't understand why it matters.” Tensie Whelan on Electric Ladies Podcast Mother Nature...
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“Talking to people from different disciplines pushes your thinking about your assumptions, going out and listening to what other people are doing helps inform the way that you creatively solve the problem that's in front of you. Leaders often are scared by some of these ideas that are coming out of their workforce and that's why they're shutting them down. But if you can demonstrate yourself to be receptive to ideas, then you can help guide a creative future.” Telle Whitney on Electric Ladies Podcast Massive innovation is crucial to meet the scale of the climate crisis, but achieving...
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“We've worked with partners like AcelorMittal… and oil and gas refineries. Emissions that would've been destined for the atmosphere are piped into our bioreactor and our magnificent microbes turn that gas into ethanol. When we pull out that ethanol, we can send it a lot of different places. You can go to On, Adidas, Athleta and buy products made by these mighty microbes from steel mill emissions. We actually flew a Virgin Atlantic flight from Orlando to London with 50 percent of the fuel in that plane made from our ethanol.” Zara Summers on Electric Ladies Podcast Addressing...
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“One of the big differences between Canada and the United States on climate policy spending broadly is that unlike the United States, Canada has a national carbon pricing system. So, we have a carbon pricing system that sets a national minimum standard…. Without strategy, coordination, investment, we will be putting ourselves at a painful disadvantage in terms of not just the energy transition, but just geopolitically.” Claire Seaborn on Electric Ladies Podcast An independent analysis found that the renewable energy strategies in New York state may help insulate New...
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“We’re giving [companies] the avenue to take something that historically has been an inconvenience and turn that into an opportunity to make them some money, whether that be selling energy to the grid, or putting energy back into the operations of their facilities. So, what could have cost them money in the past can now be a huge benefit. At the same time, you're doing something great for the world and our future.” Autumn Huskins on Electric Ladies Podcast Addressing climate change presents two big questions: How do we reduce waste and keep it out of landfills, and how can we power our...
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“We're ceding ground to China, which has become everyone's favorite punching bag. Whether Democrat or Republican, both sides are beating up on China. Meanwhile, China is saying, ‘Okay, we'll make all your solar panels, electric and autonomous vehicles,’ because they see the financial opportunities. It's past time for the U.S. and our politicians to step out of their corners and come together – this is the greatest crisis we will ever face.” Chelsea Henderson on Electric Ladies Podcast Political polarization may have stifled discussions on the climate, but Mother Nature doesn’t...
info_outline“Women make up 80% or more of the garment industry workers. Women garment workers make meager wages and work excessive working hours, 14 to 16 hours a day…Fashion is ranked as the second most polluting business in the world by the UN, 7% of the landfill is garments. The garment industry emits 8 to 10% of global CO2 and 500,000 tons of micro plastics are dumped into oceans each year.” Joan Michelson at UN Climate Week SDG Media Zone
The fashion industry faces the twin problems of being an environmental disaster, and treating their majority female workforce very, very badly, even dangerously badly in many places. The good news is that some creative, determined, resourceful women are working on both challenges at once.
You’ll meet a few of them in this episode of Electric Ladies Podcast. It’s a live recording of Joan’s recent conversations with a few of these creative women who are creating and teaching sustainable fashion, while helping the women in their communities. It’s an event at the United Nations for Climate Week at the SDG Media Zone sponsored by the PVBLIC Foundation and the Fashion Impact Fund.
You’ll hear about:
- How women in New York, Africa and India are finding ways to help other women learn, manufacture and sell sustainable fashion;
- Where they are securing the funding for their small businesses and nonprofits.
- How you can buy sustainable fashion and support the women working there.
- Plus, insightful career advice:
“I think one thing that we can talk about is buying less, right? Part of the problem is there's this like rampant over production. And so, if we buy fewer things, but nicer things and take care of them for longer, that would definitely I think help women. I think buying in general, from women owned businesses, buying locally, like community based. Those are ways that people can be more sustainable. And again, thinking about how to extend the life of your garments.” Ngozi Okaro on Joan’s UN Climate Week panel
Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.
You'll also like (some of these were recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio):
- Kerry Bannigan, Managing Director, PVBLIC Foundation, Co-Founder of UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network, Founder Conscious Fashion Campaign
- “Performing Our Femininity” – Joan’s talk at Parlay House DC on Sustainable Fashion
- How Fashion’s Marketing Machine can promote sustainability, Joan’s Forbes article
- Laura Jones, Celebrity stylist and Founder of Frontlash magazine, on sustainable fashion trends.
- Amina Razvi, CEO, Sustainable Apparel Coalition (was VP of Membership when this was recorded)
- 7 Career Tips For Women In Sustainable Fashion, Joan’s Forbes article
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