Washington is the latest state to propose a fashion-specific bill that would require large fashion manufacturers and retailers to establish, track, and disclose progress towards due diligence and environmental performance targets. The bill – which was introduced to the Washington State House this month by Representatives Mena, Doglio, Berry, Reed, Ramel, Macri, Berg, Duerr, Slatter, and Street – asserts that that the legislature finds that “the fashion industry has many negative environmental impacts, including high levels of water use, run-off pollution from the use of agrochemicals and dyes, carbon emissions, industry waste, and hazardous work.”
The legislature also “recognizes that some companies have committed to mitigation measures, such as the use of the science-based targets initiative, a tool for reducing carbon emissions.” Still yet, the drafters note in the new bill that “legislation regarding due diligence is being considered in New York and the European Union, and Germany, France, Britain, and Australia have laws requiring due diligence when it comes to human rights and slavery.”
>> Against that background … House Bill 2068 states that the Washington state legislature “intends to address the negative environmental impacts of the fashion industry,” by “requiring companies to map a minimum of 50 percent of their supply chain, disclose where in that chain they have the greatest environmental impact when it comes to low wages, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, water, and chemical management, and make plans to reduce those numbers.”
