UN-Initiated Sustainable Development Goals: A Vision for 2030 - Research Paper

Introduction

The members of the United Nations were the initial initiators of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the year 2015 and they are also called Global Goals. This was created as a measure to terminate poverty, provide protection to the universe and assure that every person enjoyed success, peace, quality healthcare, equality and other significant factors by the visionary year 2030 ("Global Sustainable Development Report 2019 | Multimedia Library - United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs", 2020). The UN knew that biasing the goals in one field would probably affect the other fields thus they developed balanced sustainability in the environment, economy, and society. The UN SDGs are imperative in the fashion or clothing industry since is among the leading global employers, particularly for females. According to statistics, the females' contribution to the supply chain is approximately 80% proving its need for sustainability and the UN's SDGs ("Global Sustainable Development Report 2019 | Multimedia Library - United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs", 2020). This paper is a context analysis of the sustainability problem, SGSs synopsis in regards to clothing brands.

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Sustainability Problem and Sdg's Synopsis

Sustainability is decision making which does not consequent to negative effects to either future or recent generations. Sustainability affects a vast range of human and ecological problems from the conservancy of natural assets to an obligation of social and humanoid well fare. Typically, sustainability is based on three pillars which include surrounding, financial and communal ("Global Sustainable Development Report 2019 | Multimedia Library - United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs", 2020). A sustainable environment is obtained by responsibly utilizing the environmental resources without depleting or misusing the natural assets to make room for a lasting surrounding quality (Tantram, 2020). A good instance of sustainable development in regards to the fashion or clothing industry is obtaining cotton from sisal plants to produce clothes. Climatic changes are currently affecting all nations around the globe upsetting domestic markets and affecting lives, having a significant cost person, societies and states profoundly now and in the future (Tantram, 2020). This is an issue that needs resolutions that should be synchronized at an intercontinental level to assist the growing nations to move forward.

If the climatic conditions keep on worsening it may continue affecting the fashion industry immensely because it creates an unfavorable condition for vegetation which is a major source of the raw materials used to process clothes. There are other numerous issues pertaining sustainability which include the food processing, biodiversity, energy, scarcity of water, and instability of geopolitics, lack of equality and global equity, and universal growth agenda ("Global Sustainable Development Report 2019 | Multimedia Library - United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs", 2020). It is explicit that most or probably all of the issues stated above are vast and may be complex. The involve institutions, universal inhabitants, civic society, NGO's and federations and drive civic and strategic agendas. The priorities and the way these issues affect different businesses and companies vary according to the resources they are dependent on, their means of competition, their client basis and marketplace setting. The way companies get affected is as follows:

• The nature of the changing strategies, regulatory, investor concentration and emergence of sustainability principles
• Civil character and attitudes
• Varying client requirements

The Erratic Competitive Atmosphere

Certain projections indicate that the worldwide usage of assets may escalate immensely with compatible of gas emissions' levels of the greenhouses, and consequent toxic effects like the ones from mining processes and additional sources of pollution. The current ideal of progress has offered success to millions of people but has it has also brought a vast number of negative effects to others, however, scientists declare that must change in several main humanoid activities ("Global Sustainable Development Report 2019 | Multimedia Library - United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs", 2020). Science is expected to partake in a vast significant part in developing sustainability. Scientists also emphasize that some environmental factors must be kept safe for their importance providence of natural and services amenities.

Study of Communal Factors Affecting The Sustainability Problem

Political Factors

Numerous geopolitical proceedings swayed the fashion industry for some years though things are anticipated to transform due to the SDGs, before the visionary year, however, there still seems to be some uncertainty. The enduring political instability and terror threats in the Middle East still pose a threat to even to the worldwide market and this has also led to the fast clothing brands to feeling the impact and challenges in their business (PESTEL/PESTLE Analysis of the Fashion retail industry, 2020). This shows an increase in political instability has a corresponding increase in the fashion industry and its sustainability. Apart from the negative challenges posed by the political instability, it also found that federations can facilitate the local marketing of fabrics, more so when the importation tax from other states escalates (Frue, 2020). In the US, most of the people purchase clothes made from the state's companies instead of the shipped in fabrics.

Economic Factors

Volatility in the economy can affect sales and profits, and it is perceived as the leading industry in the world economy and regards to the GDP, it would be rated as the world's seventh-largest economy. Still, the economy is recuperating from the effect of the recession, though more people are looking for additional money to put towards fashion (PESTEL/PESTLE Analysis of the Fashion retail industry, 2020). People with low earnings or living in regions with low employment frequency, use their earnings for the necessities for their survival like rent and food because they cannot afford to buy clothes (Frue, 2020). There is an increase in clothes that are rentable, the cost is effective, and most of the options found are stylish contingent on the choice of the person interested. Therefore, the clothing industry is affected and has a corresponding effect on the economic factors as well.

Social Factors

The demographic temperament of the world inhabitants has transformed massively in the current decade and this has had numerous effects on numerous vital alterations leaving the selling toying with numerous opportunities and options along with fresh challenges. Currently, they are providing diverse prerequisites in a state in which their option is not only to push auctions but also to involve and entice clients (PESTEL/PESTLE Analysis of the Fashion retail industry, 2020). Fast clothing brands such as Zara have employed good quality and affordable clothes for their Clients. High-level fashion is no longer the pleasure of the higher end clients since affordability has been made by the use of new strategies and techniques (Frue, 2020). The clients have transformed and their decisions are more based on the feedback they easily obtain from numerous resources that have escalated the challenges. Music has also been influencing fashion greatly since the music icons are followed so much by the public especially when they mention certain fashion brands or were the fashions of certain brands.

Technological Factors

A massive section in the development of fashion in the 21st century may be attributed to growth in technology that has occurred in the recent era. Internet, IT, Globalization and escalation of usage of mobile devices and phones for clothes shopping all these are affecting marketing, consumer selections and affecting sales (PESTEL/PESTLE Analysis of the Fashion retail industry, 2020). The millenarian generation habitually likes to purchase online and enjoys a modified familiarity with regards to client and shopping service (Frue, 2020). The internet has flickered the capability to unwrap shopping centers to trade clothes. Technology has aided the clothing brands in foreign extension while e-commerce has facilitated them to pass beyond the boundaries and trade to a vast client sector.

Legal Factors

Compliance and ethics are vital concentration areas for the leading brands and they are actively functioning in this direction. The clothing industry must abide by some regulations like any supplementary trades. For them to continue being authorized they must abide by export and taxation restrictions and increased costs (PESTEL/PESTLE Analysis of the Fashion retail industry, 2020). They must also uphold the employees' rights, though this gets iffy if enterprises have their products made in foreign nations. It's acknowledged that several fashion sellers have Asian employees who sew their clothing absurdly discounted, although most of the clients are prohibiting these brands (Frue, 2020). There are other regulations related to the global trade too that necessitate submission, however, the ethical image and authorized conformity may be very valuable for a clothing brand's trade.

Environmental Factors

Clothing brands are engaging themselves in environmental investment and utilizing more environment pleasant resources, operations, and packaging. Clothing brands have prioritized sustainable clothing and it is functioning to change product manufacturing and design (PESTEL/PESTLE Analysis of the Fashion retail industry, 2020). Many of the fashions are formed from cotton, however, first of all, it should be selected then dispatched all up to be seamed as denim. Substances effortlessly cultivate their approach into the fiber implying that the jeans being worn can be saturated in perilous composites (Frue, 2020). It's a huge expanse only getting the jeans coming from the industry to the stockpile; then the fabrics are usually placed into pliable bags that are incorporated into landfills later. The efforts to decrement the effect on the environment are far and less between.

Description and Analysis Of More Sustainable Brands

Patagonia

This open-air brand is extensively acknowledged as among the leading ethical and sustainable fashions currently in the world. In the lead of utilizing extra sustainable materials whenever it is able, it assists its clients in repairing their clothes, gear making them last for a long period, and owns collections that maintain assurance of safe surroundings, employees, and clients (The Best Sustainable Fashion Brands to Look Good While Doing Good, 2020). Patagonia also purchases and resells its styles, offer credit for its clients' credit for returning its old fashions or purchasing pre-owned items at reduced costs (Morgan, 2020). Patagonia has received extreme appraisals for its business and marketing publications for its attempts to be more sustainable. It has shown that caring for the environment is more important than brand positioning by even supporting several environmental organizations.

Levi's

Starting from cotton growth to dyeing and finalizing, it uses more than 2,000 water gallons in only making alone single pair of jeans. Levi concentrates more on the procedures of finishing to exclude water wherever potential with its water which claims to utilize a maximum of 96% lesser water to produce (The Best Sustainable Fashion Brands to Look Good While Doing Good, 2020). Since Levi's plays a very significant role in denim production, su...