Baptist World Aid Australia’s 10th Ethical Fashion Report has revealed slow progress in the Australian fashion industry’s ethical and sustainable practices, with 89% of brands failing to pay garment workers a living wage at any part of their supply chain and most lacking policies for responsible purchasing and gender equality. One decade on since the publication of the first Ethical Fashion Report, millions of workers in the global fashion industry continue to face injustice, abuse, low wages, and modern slavery.
The 2024 report assessed 120 companies representing 460 brands in Australia and found an average score of just 31 out of 100, an increase of just two per cent in two years since the 2022 report. The report analysed six key issues in fashion supply chains: responsible purchasing practices, addressing gender inequality, payment of living wages, water stewardship, use of sustainable fibres and circularity.
The report found the fashion industry has a long road ahead to eliminate labour exploitation from supply chains with only two out of 120 fashion companies able to confirm they pay a living wage at factories in the final stage of the supply chain.
While the overall results paint a bleak picture that shows progress is becoming stagnant for a large majority of fashion brands, encouragingly, some companies that have participated in the report for multiple years are showing positive change towards more ethical practices. The average score for these brands increased from 34.8 in 2022 to 47.1. In 2024, these brands demonstrated the strongest improvement in areas of supplier relationships and environmental sustainability.
This year, Baptist World Aid is not only calling on the fashion industry to improve, but also encouraging Australian Christians to use their power to influence change.
While companies maintain primary responsibility for supply chain conditions, individual Australians can help shift industry practice by engaging with the ethical fashion movement and speaking out to companies. Baptist World Aid is urging people to use this year’s report and Ethical Fashion Guide as a tool to empower more ethical decisions, and to ultimately buy less, buy better and expect more from the brands they love. To read the full report and guide, visit Baptist World Aid Australia.
Words by
Baptist World Aid Australia
