Smriti Irani launches Project SU.RE on Sustainable Fashion

On August 22, 2019, Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Irani launched project SU.RE that aims to move towards sustainable fashion that contributes to a clean environment. As many as 16 clothing brands took a pledge to create sustainable fashion at the unveiling of Project SU.RE on the sidelines of the Lakme Fashion Week. The retail giants voluntarily acknowledged their responsibility towards the environment and making a commitment to encourage, promote, and practise sustainable fashion.

“Everything we consume, we have to consume responsibly. The step taken today makes for not only responsible business but also smart business”

Smriti Irani

What is Project SU.RE

Project SU.RE or Sustainable Resolution initiative by India’s apparel industry aims to create a sustainable pathway for the fashion industry. The project was launched by the Union textile Minister along with the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), United Nations in India and IMG Reliance and the organisers of Lakme Fashion Week.

The initiative saw CEOs of 16 major brands across the country signing a charter of sustainability, initiating India’s commitment towards sustainable and environment-friendly fashion. Top fashion and retail brands like Future Group, Shoppers Stop, Aditya Birla Retail, Arvind Brands, Lifestyle, Max, Raymond, House of Anita Dongre, Westside, Spykar, Levis, Bestsellers and Trends are signatories to the project.

About Project SU.RE

The five-point Sustainable Resolution is as follows:

1. Develop a complete understanding of the environmental impact of the garments being currently produced by our brand.
2. Develop a sustainable sourcing policy for consistently prioritizing and utilizing certified raw materials that have a positive impact on the environment.
3. Make the right decisions about how, where, and what we source across the value chain by selecting sustainable and renewable materials and processes and ensuring their traceability.
4. Communicate our sustainability initiatives effectively to consumers and media through our online and physical stores, product tags/ labelling, social media, advertising campaigns and events.
5. Through these actions, shift a significant percentage of our supply chain to a sustainable chain by the year 2025, addressing critical global issues such as climate change, contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and building a world that is safe for the future generations, as an acceptance of a responsibility we all share.

The future of design is foremost about design with a future and without sustainable supply chains, the fashion industry will become less and less viable.

Renata Lok- Dessallien, Resident Coordinator, United Nations in India

The signatories have pledged to source or utilise a substantial portion of their total consumption using sustainable raw materials and processes by 2025. The combined industry value of the the 16 signatories to the resolution is around Rs 30,000 crore.

“As part of SU.RE, industry will not only develop an understanding of the environmental impact but will also devise a sustainable sourcing policy for raw materials that are environment-friendly,” Ms. Irani said

Rahul Mehta, President, CMAI, said, “In the past, several products and processes of our industry were not environment-friendly. It is a responsible and timely step taken by the apparel industry of India, especially the signatories, to commit to move towards sustainable fashion.”

References: un.org