Global Fashion Agenda: Powering the fashion industry with wind energy
Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) is collaborating with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and international fashion companies BESTSELLER and H&M Group as they develop the first offshore wind project in Bangladesh, a project with the potential to significantly increase the availability of renewable energy in one of the fashion industry’s most important manufacturing countries.
Uniting energy and fashion with wind project in Bangladesh
The fashion industry contributes between 1.8% and 4% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions each year, and it is estimated that over 70% of these emissions come from production and operation processes, which mostly use non-renewable energy sources like petroleum, gas, oil, and coal. To cut down on these emissions, the industry needs to switch to renewable energy, requiring large-scale infrastructure changes. Therefore, GFA is pushing for fashion brands to collectively invest in new renewable energy solutions to speed up this transition.
With the groundbreaking wind project in Bangladesh, GFA is driving important social and environmental change in the fashion industry by establishing the first collaboration between the energy and fashion sector to enable fashion companies to invest in renewable energy infrastructure in production countries, BESTSELLER and H&M Group being the first investors.
The offshore wind project is currently in early-stage development by CIP in collaboration with a local partner Summit Power. If development is successful, operations are expected to commence in 2028. The wind project will have a capacity of 500MW, becoming Bangladesh's first utility-scale offshore wind farm. It will help the country achieve its goal of generating 40% of the nation’s power from renewable sources by 2041. The project is expected to contribute to job creation, stabilise energy supply, and reduce emissions by approximately 725,000 tonnes annually.
By investing in renewable energy, the fashion industry can lead by example, showing how creativity, collaboration and innovation can combat climate change and drive quality of life on a global scale.
“Renewable energy availability is a necessity if we are to truly transform the emissions trajectory of the fashion industry, and collective action is essential to realising this. I am proud to present this industry led investment for crucial renewable energy infrastructure in Bangladesh, one of the key manufacturing countries. Global Fashion Agenda and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners invite stakeholders from the fashion industry and beyond to be part of the solution and join this endeavour.”
About Global Fashion Agenda
Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) is a non-profit organisation that fosters industry collaboration on sustainability in fashion to accelerate impact. With the vision of a net positive fashion industry, GFA drives action by mobilising, inspiring, influencing and educating stakeholders. Through its work, GFA reaches thousands of stakeholders including brands, innovators, NGOs, policy makers, manufacturers, investors and more.
A net positive industry for people and the planet is an industry that puts back more into society, the environment, and the global economy than it takes out.