On Wednesday (July 7^th), the first Frankfurt Fashion SDG Summit, held as part of Franfurt Fashion Week, sent out a strong signal to the fashion world – designers, politicians, scientists and climate activists spoke with one voice of the urgently needed transformation of the fashion and textile industry.

The conference, which will be held annually in Frankfurt, was presented by the Conscious Fashion Campaign and realised by Messe Frankfurt in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Partnerships.

“This conference is a signal to the international textile and fashion world,” said Tarek Al-Wazir, Hessian Minister for Economy, Energy, Transport and Housing. “It is important that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are high on the agenda of this Fashion Week because we need to move from fast fashion to fair fashion.

“We need to end destructive behaviour that destroys the environment and robs people of their livelihoods. Precarious and life-threatening working conditions must be stopped imediately and we must take responsibility and act without hesitation. This is the only way we can achieve the goal of Agenda 2030, and that’s why I want today’s summit to be highly beneficial, ultimately leading to sustainable action.”

From the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP), acting executive director Annemarie Houf praised Frankfurt Fashion Week and the SDG Summit as an invaluable platform to inspire innovation and sustainable solutions within the fashion industry.

“With all of us working together, we can promote responsible production and consumption practices,” she said. “These solutions will help the world to keep the promise of the SDGs. As the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said, this is the make it or break it year for action towards the SDGs and making peace with nature is a defining test of the 21 century. Just by joining us at this summit people are leading the charge towards a greener and a more just future.”

“As a leading organiser of international textile trade fairs with 60 events worldwide, it is a great concern for us to set the direction towards a sustainable future of the global fashion and textile industry,” said Detlef Braun, member of the board of management of Messe Frankfurt. “A strong signal for change in industry and trade is being sent out from Frankfurt. Together with our partners from the Conscious Fashion Campaign and the United Nations Office for Partnerships, we have been able to bring the 17 Sustainable Development Goals closer to a broad, international audience.”

Keynotes, interviews, panel discussions and performances highlighted the global problem areas of the fashion and textile industry and showed solutions for a sustainable future – sensible business, in harmony with nature and responsible towards people in a globalised world.

www.sdgsummit.fashion