The fashion and textile industry is one of the world's most polluting, and a new report now shows that clothing consumption in just Denmark costs nature and the environment a little more than DKK 3 bn. every year. For example, the environmental impact of an ordinary cotton T-shirt costs more around DKK 12. This covers primarily water consumption, fertilizer for the cotton, and energy consumption throughout the production chain.

This is illustrated in new green accounts, which are the second of their kind in Denmark. The green accounts have been called the "Danish apparel sector natural capital account" and for the first time they put a value on the price paid by the environment to produce our clothes. According to Environment Minister, Kirsten Brosbøl, this price is far too high.

"Everything, from the enormous amounts of fertilizer and water consumption on cotton fields to CO₂ emissions from leather and zip manufacture, impacts the environment. Now we can see what this actually costs, and even though all our clothes are produced abroad, we still have a responsibility. I call on the industry to make things better and to use these accounts to reduce their environmental footprint," said Kirsten Brosbøl, who today is taking part in a session on how enterprises use financial green accounts at the Global Green Growth Forum (3GF) in Copenhagen.

Denmark impacts CO₂ emissions in China The green accounts have been developed in collaboration with IC Group, a clothing company which is responsible for among other brands Tiger of Sweden and Peak Performance. The accounts won't just be filed away and forgotten, stressed Morten Lehman, Corporate Responsibility Manager for IC Group.

"We in the clothing industry are well aware that we have some hefty environmental challenges. These accounts provide IC Group with a tool to further qualify our work on sustainability and to set specific targets for our sustainability efforts in our value chain. We've already used the accounts to discuss CO2 emissions with factories in China; emissions we have previously considered as a problem primarily arising from raw materials production rather than at factories," said Morten Lehman.

The Danish apparel sector natural capital account was prepared by NIRAS for the Danish EPA and the IC Group.

We use 16 kg of clothing a year The report shows that the greatest environmental impact from Danish clothing production is outside Denmark, primarily in China, India and Turkey. Everyone in Denmark uses 16 kg of clothing a year, and among other things this requires almost 50 kg of chemicals to produce. Kirsten Brosbøl is about to present a strategy on preventing waste, and clothing consumption is an important element in this.

"We can all do something to protect the environment, for example by looking for quality clothes which last longer and by passing on our old clothes instead of throwing them away when we are tired of them. I myself have become good at using new clothes sharing schemes like Chare or buying and selling second-hand clothing on the internet," said Kirsten Brosbøl, who will be opening a session at the 3GF conference tomorrow with focus on sustainable textiles.

Facts about the green accounts

• The report values the global environmental impact in all links in the supply chain for Danish textile companies using a new method of green accounting; Natural Capital Accounting.
• The green accounts estimate the value of the environmental impacts from greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, water consumption, water pollution and indirect land use.
• Earlier in 2014 the project was nominated for the Global Leadership Award in Sustainable Apparel (GLASA), an annual award for initiatives to support sustainable conversion of the clothing and textiles industry.

Further information: Mette Thorn, Head of Press Department, Ministry of the Environment: tel.: +45 2561 7170, e-mail: [email protected] Corporate CR Manager Morten Lehmann, IC Group, tel.: +45 26 36 07 79, e-mail: [email protected]