Eco-Age

There is no easy way to say this, and it is incredibly difficult to put into words, but I will try… Today our beloved sustainability company Eco-Age closes. Tragically the business was targeted by criminals and although we tried – we really tried, we have been unable to recover financially from the impact. Due to an ongoing police investigation, we are unable to comment further on the specifics of the case. But we look forward to justice in due course and thank the police for their work. We began 17 years ago with a family shop in West London selling the latest in eco lifestyle products. Nobody would have predicted our trajectory. We are incredibly grateful to those who supported us from the beginning and proud of the work that took us to become a globally recognised consultancy and communication agency and for the role we played to change the landscape of sustainability globally. For 17 years we have been relentlessly promoting, advocating, changing, partnering, galvanising, mobilising and uniting on behalf of a liveable and just planet for all. It is heartbreaking to have to give up this particular fight. It goes against our nature, but we have no choice. Through the years, the Eco-Age team and family truly lit up the sky and we will forever be proud, and in awe, of all of you – the most incredible team of passionate, creative and fearless sustainability professionals. We know you will use your talents and experience to continue to contribute courageous solutions at this vital point in the climate and nature crisis. As you can imagine, to have so much snatched away in such shocking circumstances creates an emotional vortex. But I also know we cannot really take the end of Eco Age as a defeat. From our people to our passion, the spirit of our community, our family and what we’ve achieved together cannot be undone or erased. It can only be built on. The fight for a just, ecologically resilient planet built with love and care goes on. A business is lost, but an unstoppable movement continues. Love, Livia Livia Giuggioli Firth

Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli in today’s Financial Times reminds us of the responsibility we all have solving the impacts of fast fashion 👇 👗The fashion industry is said to be responsible for 10 % of global carbon emissions- more than international flights and shipping combined 😱 Global textile fiber production has almost doubled in the two decades between 2000-2020, with many items being worn between 7 to 10 times before being thrown away, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. This story shines a light on the key issue which continues to be critical to making a serious dent in this global problem⬇️ ➡️‼️the role of the consumer 🔃 Eco-Age’s co-founder Livia Giuggioli Firth shares, “Everyone must play their part. Change is always bottom up and top down…corporates have a duty to change and citizens have a responsibility to start buying less.” 🌏Changing consumer attitudes is hard and takes time. Brand sustainability messaging must be clearer and easier to understand so consumers have clarity in the role they play with their purchase decisions that can significantly minimize the damage to the planet. #domorewithless

Last week, in an unprecedented move, hundreds of thousands of farmers from across the world came together to voice their concerns about the Council of the EU’s stance on the Green Claims Directive and the proposed use of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology. A heartfelt letter sent to Council policymakers highlighted how the PEF methodology unfairly favours synthetic, fossil fuel-derived materials over natural fibres, misrepresenting natural fibres as harmful to the environment and therefore posing a significant risk of injustice to farmers whose lives depend on the production of these natural fibres. The letter also pointed to the process for developing the rules for how PEF will apply to apparel and footwear products, highlighting that it is prohibitively expensive and inaccessible for farmers. This leaves decision-making in the hands of large, well-funded fashion corporations, with none of the 26 voting members representing farmers. If the EU endorses the PEF methodology as it currently is, it will promote fast fashion at the expense of sustainable farming. This contradicts the EU's commitment to "put fast fashion out of fashion" and to support farmers. Read the letter here: https://ow.ly/B8ea50SmWe3

🙌 We are so happy to see this passed. Kudos to the tireless work of so many dedicated people to get this across the line. We keep pushing for an environmentally restorative and socially just future for all

Today, the EU Council is agreeing on the Green Claim Directive which will decide the fate of millions of farmers in the fashion supply chain around the world. Last week, in an unprecedented move, hundreds of thousands of farmers came together to voice their concerns about the European Council's stance on the Green Claims Directive and its Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology. A heartfelt letter sent to MEPs highlighted how the PEF methodology unfairly favours synthetic, fossil fuel-derived materials over natural fibres, misrepresenting natural fibres as harmful to the environment and therefore posing a significant risk of injustice to farmers whose lives depend on the production of these natural fibres. Moreover, the process to participate in the Green Claims Directive is prohibitively expensive for small-scale farmers. This leaves decision-making in the hands of large, well-funded fashion corporations, with none of the 26 voting members representing farmers. If the EU Council endorses the PEF methodology today, it will help to boost fast fashion at the expense of sustainable farming. This contradicts the EU's promise to make "fast fashion out of fashion" and to support our farmers during challenging times. The farmers letter, supported by over 800 signatories representing over half a million farmers worldwide, includes notable figures like Carlo Petrini (Founder of the Slow Food Movement), herders supported by Gobi Cashmere Corporation, Sustainable Fibre Alliance (representing 189,000 Mongolian herding families, and millions of famers across Afghanistan and China), The Sourcery  (representing 250,000 smallholder farmers in India), and advocates like model and founder of DIRT charity Arizona Muse and designer Patrick Grant At Eco-Age, we stand proudly with these hardworking farmers, ensuring their voices are heard. Read the letter here https://lnkd.in/eNbmgUD9

Thank you Brett Mathews for covering this recent work- we are proud to support farmers to ensure their voices are heard Read the letter here https://lnkd.in/eNbmgUD9

This year, half of the world will go to vote. Lately, I have been busy meeting with young activists and colleagues trying to come up with the right campaign for young people to go and vote. There has been a fair amount of brainstorming, and back and forth with ideas on how to convince them that their vote matters and will make a difference – but every time all I can think is, “We need a Katniss and a hand gesture to symbolize and re-ignite the revolution.” the world of The Hunger Games is frighteningly like our world. In the business of fashion even more so. But in that story, everything changes when our hero Katniss Everdeen, played in the movie trilogy by Jennifer Lawrence, takes part in the games, distracts everyone with her fashion looks, becomes what today we would call an “influencer” and starts mobilizing everyone in the 12 districts with a “silent salute,” which soon becomes the symbol of the resistance and eventually destroys the capital. Who will the Katniss Everdeen be in this day and age? What would the “silent salute” be and how would she use her being an influencer on social media to start a revolution? My new Vogue Arabia June piece is now online too - enjoy

Proud to be supporters of Clean Creatives 💪

“THIS is our moment of truth”. The words of the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres on his speech for #WorldEnvironmentDay should be played on repeat every day: “We the Peoples versus the polluters and the profiteers. It is about whether today we choose to minimize climate chaos, or cross dangerous tipping points. To young people, to civil society, to cities, regions, businesses and others who have been leading the charge towards a safer, cleaner world, I say: Thank you. You are on the right side of history. You speak for the majority. Keep it up. Don’t lose courage. Don’t lose hope. Together, we can win. But it’s time for leaders to decide whose side they’re on. Tomorrow is too late.” At a time when integrity, courage, and hope are in dwindling supply on the world stage, read Livia Giuggioli Firth’s homage to UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Vogue Arabia, while in #December2023, Sophia Kianni launched the #WeWearOil campaign to remind the fashion industry about its role in a fair phase out of fossil fuel. https://lnkd.in/eRqtYkwz

We launched one of the first ever product passports in 2013 with Gucci and NGO partners National Wildlife Federation and Rainforest Alliance (read more about this project on www.eco-age.com/our-work). 10 years later, and with so much discussion around digital passports, why is the industry still so slow to make this a reality? As Vogue Business says, “When it comes to digital product passports — the set of information that will be required on all fashion goods in the EU in the coming years — more is better for luxury consumers, who say they want to know about where their goods came from.” https://lnkd.in/gUhB6QGk