Sustainability was on the ballot in two elections in the US midterms. Yet, despite some wins that may have implications for textile producers, fashion’s impact was not a focus for policymakers. Experts say it was a missed opportunity.
New York delivered a big win for the climate with the passage of the Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, a $4.2 billion bill that will enable the state to invest in efforts to both slow climate change, and help local communities adapt to it by flood-proofing neighbourhoods and improving public health, among other efforts.
The bill could be relevant for local textile production if funding goes to improving agriculture, says Rachel Kibbe, CEO of consultancy Circular Services Group and co-host of the podcast Hot Buttons. However, the industry should have been given more direct consideration, she argues. “Textiles aren’t contemplated in a lot of this stuff. That’s part of the educational challenge we have [with policymakers] — we’re still at the very beginning,” says Kibbe. “Some of these issues, fashion can easily apply to, but they haven’t been included.”
The other significant climate bill, Prop 30 in California, which would have raised taxes on the wealthiest residents to help speed the transition to electric vehicles, did not pass. Observers attribute that to lobbying by business interests. “The outcome of Prop 30 is unfortunate, but there were so many factors specific to that campaign that I think it’s unwise to extrapolate too much,” says Maxine Bédat, director of non-profit New Standard Institute and author of Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment.
