The Fashion Environmental Accountability Act - Fall

Team Members: Francine Gordon, Madison Kerbeck, Diana Chipak, Peyton Choo, Tarlee Dahn, Maxwell Howland, Kyria Hu, Ndumi Kioko, Carrie Kim, Poornima Pandian

This report examines the Fashion Environmental Accountability Act (A4631-B), a proposed New York State law that seeks to improve transparency and environmental accountability within the global fashion industry. Although New York is a major fashion capital, the industry’s environmental impacts—including greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and microplastic contamination—are largely externalized across global supply chains. The report highlights the sector’s significant environmental footprint, noting that fashion contributes roughly 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of industrial water pollution, while production processes rely heavily on fossil-fuel-based synthetic fibers and resource-intensive manufacturing practices.

The legislation introduces mandatory environmental due diligence requirements for large fashion companies with revenues exceeding $100 million that conduct business in New York. Firms would be required to map their supply chains, disclose environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions and wastewater discharge, and establish science-based reduction targets. The report proposes a phased implementation strategy that includes regulatory rulemaking, the development of standardized reporting templates, and oversight by the New York Department of State and Department of Environmental Conservation. Noncompliance would result in financial penalties, which would fund a remediation program addressing environmental harm caused by industry operations. By transitioning the industry from voluntary sustainability commitments to enforceable reporting and accountability mechanisms, the proposed program positions New York as a global leader in regulating the environmental impacts of fashion supply chains.

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