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10:08 11 Nov 2022

Fashion brands finance war against Ukraine

They do it due to the companies' use of materials made from russian oil.

An environmental organization Changing Markets Foundation investigation found that the fashion industry undermined countries' efforts to impose financially damaging sanctions against putin.

The report, Dressed to Kill: Fashion brands' hidden links to Russian oil in a time of war, lists 39 global brands that buy raw materials from two of the world's largest polyester producers, India's Reliance Industries and China's Hengli Group.

In turn, during russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Reliance increased the amount of oil it buys from russia by 12 times, from 67.4 million euros per month before the invasion of Ukraine to 829.4 million euros per month by July of this year, making russia its largest oil supplier. Hengli Group also buys russian oil for the production of its polyester-based products. By May 2022, Hengli's russian oil imports have increased by 55% compared to a year earlier, and it is known that the company has been buying crude oil from russia at discounted prices in recent months.

Direct connections with these two manufacturers were traced to the well-known brands Benetton Group, Esprit, G-Star RAW, New Look, and Next, as well as H&M, Boohoo, C&A, Nike, Hugo Boss, Mango, Primark, North Face, and others, despite the significant lack of transparency and disclosure of information regarding these brands.

More than 25 of the 39 brands have publicly suspended operations in russia or withdrawn their products from russia. However, by purchasing raw materials from polyester suppliers who import record volumes of russian oil, these same fashion brands are still contributing to the russian economy and, as a result, to its continuation of the war against Ukraine.

The Changing Markets Foundation and Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine are calling on brands to urgently review their supply chains and cut ties with synthetic suppliers who buy oil from russia, as well as full transparency on the use of synthetic fibers and a commitment to phase them out due to their contribution to plastic pollution, climate change, and now war. Recommended rates of reduction of fossil fuel use in materials from 2021 volumes by 20% by 2025 and 50% reduction by 2030.

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