Bangladesh relies on garments for around 80 per cent of its exports and for about 4 million jobs, and ranks behind only China as a supplier of clothes to developed markets like Europe and US. Photograph:( Getty )

As per United Nations, the fashion industry is responsible for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. It is also responsible for a significant portion of water consumption and waste

Next year onwards, all clothing items sold in France would require a label containing information about the precise climate impact the manufacture has had. It is expected that a similar rule would come into effect in the European Union by 2026.

This may mean clothing brands would have to juggle many data points:  Where and how were its raw materials grown? What was used to colour it? How far did it travel? Was the factory powered with solar energy or coal?

The French Agency for Ecological Transition (Ademe) is currently testing 11 proposals for how to collect and compare data — and what the resulting label might look like to consumers — using 500 real-life items of clothing. 

“The message of the law is clear — it will become obligatory, so brands need to prepare, to make their products traceable, to organise the automatic collection of data,” Erwan Autret, one of the coordinators at Ademe, told AFP.

“Some say the models are too simple, some say they’re too complicated, but it’s a sign of the maturity of the debate that no one questions the need for these calculations anymore.”

As per United Nations, the fashion industry is responsible for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. It is also responsible for a significant portion of water consumption and waste.

Campaigners say that labels can go a long way to address the environmental impact.

“It will force brands to be more transparent and informed... to collect data and create long-term relationships with their suppliers — all things they’re not used to doing,” said Victoire Satto, of The Good Goods, It is a media agency focused on sustainable fashion.

“Right now it seems infinitely complex,” she added. “But we’ve seen it applied in other industries such as medical supplies.”

A presentation by Paris-based textiles conference, Premiere Vision, put emphasis on new processes that included non-toxic leather tanning, dyes from fruits and waste and even biodegradable underwear.

But Ariane Bigot, Premiere Vision’s deputy head of fashion, said that the key to sustainability is using the right fabric for the right garment.   That means synthetic and oil-based fabrics will still have a place, she said: “A strong synthetic with a very long lifespan might be right for some uses, such as an over-garment that needs little washing.” 

Capturing all these trade-offs in one simple label on an item of clothing is therefore tricky.

“It’s very complicated,” said Bigot. “But we need to get the machine started.”

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