A CHANGE of mind

Fashion and Policy discussions at the ISEE Degrowth Conference: As both CHANGE and Wasted Textiles projects are nearing their ends, and both projects focus on degrowing the textile sector (the latter more specifically the plastic part of textiles), what could be more fitting than organized two special sessions at the ISEE Degrowth conference in Oslo?

The four-day conference with 1200 delegates from 60 countries opened with a key note speech from a barefoot Director of the Colombian Environmental Authority, Irene Valez-Torres, telling European policy-makers to start using their own resources and stop extracting from the Global South in the name of Green Growth. The slight woman in a billowing yellow dress spoke forcefully about decolonizing the Eurocentric mind-set, the new Colombian government’s willingness to grow what sustains us – local communities – not corporations and businesses, and the roof virtually lifted with applause when she finished.

Director of the Colombian Environmental Authority, Irene Valez-Torres, telling European policy-makers to start using their own resources.

A performance by Sami activist and artist Ella Marie Hætta also mesmerized the room and also literally lifted the roof.

How refreshing and timely, as the latter of our two sessions was How to speak so policymakers listen? Sharing experiences of trying and failing to transform EU legislation in setting an upper production/import limit in rich countries – drawing on the case of clothing and textiles. Kate Fletcher chaired the session, which started with a presentation by Ingun Grimstad Klepp and yours truly’s efforts at the EU level, alongside our good helpers from both CHANGE and Wasted Textiles: Kate, Irene Maldini, Lisbeth Løvbak Berg, Kirsi Laitala, Kerli Kant Hvass and Jens Måge. We are also thankful for insights from a Union of Concerned Researchers in Fashion Action Season event.

Our frustration: The head-banging of not getting the message across that the Textile Strategy and the policies coming out of this are – in sum – an on-coming train wreck. It seems policy is based on the assumption that more durable, more repairable and more recyclable apparel is going to reduce volumes produced; when it is more probable that it’s the opposite approach that is the way forward: reduction in volumes. We don’t need more of anything, we need less!

This can be achieved through hiking the prices substantially, which surfaced in the ensuing discussion. Katia Dayan Vladimirova talked about that local city level may be an easier place to start (her experience from Geneva) but also perseverance (just getting volume reduction into policy has been a major break-through as green growth is the mantra). Irene shared how the Netherlands are setting import limits, citing her research (!). France’s new anti-fast fashion policy tools were also mentioned, though the question remains if they are effective, and of course tariffs (Trump’s intervention in the global economy – a blessing in disguise?).

Irene: “It was impressive to see many young people trying to affect policy in this direction from several countries, also outside the EU. Our shared experience is that unfortunately, formal democratic participation channels do not work. Informal channels and key contacts with political actors including consultants are more efficient channels to affect policy change. Sadly, these channels are not equally available to all citizens or scientists, questioning the democratic nature of policy influence.”

Kate: “Individuals get this, institutions less so.” Once policy is set in ‘stone’, it is – literarily – set in stone.

Surprisingly, an EU politician from Hungary, attended the session, and bluntly said that “politicians want to be re-elected – use our self-interest in this regard, showing us that there is a large number of people’s votes to be won if we support this issue”. She specifically mentioned petitions. Coming into the discussion early, before they are “set in stone”, is another takeaway. Which is, of course tricky.

There were other insights: How language is key, how degrowth or post-growth are words that stop the conversations in their tracks, while a well-being economy resonances. How change is deemed scary, as opposed to status quo, the belief policy makers place in “rocket science” and innovation vs good old fashioned common sense and use of those old boring resources. Surprisingly, SoMe entered late into the room.

And then the tricky one: How much to dumb down without losing integrity. Sticking to one message, and repeating it over and over, beyond one’s own boredom with being stuck in a groove: vital. Also to have ready alternative solutions, not just criticizing what is on the table. So, when a crisis or massive realization hits home, one has a working alternative ready in place.

Making it personal, is also an effective approach. And the obvious: How much money can be saved and how many jobs safeguarded.

It still remains a paradox, as Ingun reiterated: “We’re asked for evidence, but when we deliver it is ignored or misconstrued.”

23 attended, in conflict with similar themed sessions, and hold your hats: 4 men.

The other session, Degrowth dialogues in fashion: cultivating the seeds of change, was initially planned for four presentations, but 30 submissions were received and thus Chairs Kate and Irene decided to extend it to a double session. As there were all in all 290 sessions and 900 presentations: kudos!

The engaged speakers in Kate and Irene’s double session.

The background for the session being that the fashion sector is perhaps the poster child of consumerist materialism and economic growth logic. And yet despite the seeming inevitability of growth and its myriad social and environmental costs; seeds of degrowth thinking and practice in fashion are increasingly present. Topics ranged from understandings of production and consumption dynamics in degrowth vs. the more mainstream sustainable development, to indigenous perspectives, and accounts of the daily life of garment workers. Irene: “We are grateful to all participants for their work in this space, and their efforts to share it with us in Oslo.”

There were powerful and passionate interventions, such as Unweaving Coloniality: Degrowth and Reparations as Tools for Dismantling Colonial Structures in Fashion presented by Lavinia Muth, Centering the ‘Garment Workers’ in the Degrowth Fashion Scholarship presented by Aksha Fernandez, Satiable versus insatiable: The ambiguity of anthropological assumptions in a movement against fashion overconsumption presented by Marie-Christine Roy, and Thought experiment in facilitating post growth conversations in fashion presented by Katia Dayan Vladimirova, who had co-authored with David Hachfeld. Looking forward to hearing more on their Fashion Fund idea.

Fashion as Kaitiaki: Indigeneity, Reciprocity, and Post-Growth Pathways – presented by Karishma Kelsey – and co-authored with Tukahia Ngataki – offered a thought-provoking Indigenous knowledge framework perspective from Mātauranga Māori, African Ubuntu, and Indian dharmic philosophies with pathways to degrowth rooted in reciprocity, sufficiency, and ecological balance. How teacher and student fluidity is key was an interesting take-away.

Ingun: “All things we do, we need to ask the question ‘will it decrease production or just mask the underlying problem?’

One other session also focused onIndigenous and local knowledge, the theme being protecting and restoring values of nature. However here only Ove Daniel Jakobsen from Nord University showed up.His talk, Reconnecting with the Earth: Integrating Indigenous Science and Deep Ecological Economics for a Sustainable Future sparkedan engaged discussion, and session participants agreed to reconvene in September to continue the discussion!

Smiling faces after Ove Daniel Jacobsen’s session introducing Indigenous economical thinking.

From the plenaries, Inge Røpke, Aalborg University, stood out, in a discussion that resonated with our policy session: What standard of living is compatible with just and safe planetary boundaries? How do limits intersect with justice? Is policy’s incremental process, civil disobedience or off-grid living the way forward?

Actually, aside from Ove’s presentation, it was the women who stood out as the most powerful voices. Lebohang Liepollo Pheko (Trade Collective; Wellbeing Economy Alliance; Global Tapestry of Alternatives) was a firework voice on work time reduction and care.  Kate Raworth (Senior Teaching Fellow, Oxford University; Professor of Practice, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences) summed up in the last plenary the big elephant in the room: grassroots and top-down action. For systemic change to happen, it can be simply that communities say ‘no’ to the growth and go off-grid. But this will need to be bottom up, as the EU economy is mired in growth, competitiveness and colonized logic. 

The Columbian, barefooted Minister’s opening key note speech made it abundantly clear: A CHANGE of mind is on its way. During the opening session we also heard: “We eat and WEAR the Earth”, wow for wear being included! And Ove’s Arne Næss citation ‘have revolutionary goals with evolutionary steps’ may just be a guidance.

Not all work, also some play, during the conference.

CHANGE is funded by Ground-breaking research (FRIPRO) from the Research Council of Norway, from July 2021-2025. 

How to speak so policymakers listen?

Friday 27th of June 2025 Time 11 -12:30

11th International Degrowth Conference 
Sophus Bugges hus, Campus Blindern, Oslo

Sharing experiences of trying and failing to transform EU legislation in setting an upper production/import limit in rich countries – drawing on the case of clothing and textiles.

Chair of session Kate Fletcher

Organised as an interactive session of mutual learning and exchange about attempts to transform policy around setting upper limits to production/import of goods in rich countries, this session will invite dialogue between activists, community organisations, academics and more. The session will begin with a presentation about the experiences of clothing and textiles researchers and their dialogues with policy makers in the EU to limit production/import volumes. The session will then open to the floor, with discussion not limited to the case of clothing and textiles, to share the experiences of others’ policy dialogues in different contexts. Discussion may include: the type of language and terminology used, different ways of framing discussions, the channels that have proved effective, preferred approaches, among others.

This session links to the conference theme by sharing practices and actively linking degrowth theory and priorities to action for transformed futures.

Format of the session:
Presentation: 25 minutes – Professor Ingun Grimstad Klepp, SIFO, OsloMet and Tone Tobiasson, reflecting on the work with policy as part of the research project CHANGE

Facilitated discussion open to all attendees: 45 minutes

Feedback delivered on ESPR 2nd milestone

Consumption Research Norway (SIFO) and NICE Fashion have delivered feedback on the Preparatory study on textiles for product policy instruments: Ecodesign, EU Green Public, Procurement EU Ecolabel 2nd milestone. All in all 19 comments were prepared and submitted, after attending a two-day webinar in December 2024, where the 2nd milestone document was introduced.

The submission focuses on issues related to ‘durability’ and ‘repairability’, as these are key concepts from EU’s Joint Research Center, and according to them the main drivers for consumers to keep their apparel for longer. We do not agree with this, and have argued why in the feedback. The idea that Duration of Service can be predicted at the start of a product’s lifetime, is one of the things we argue against, and our recommendation is, as we have repeated often, to immediately start dating products, and use waste audits, or even better, SIFO’s new method to capture relationship between properties and use (more information on the method here clothingresearch.oslomet.no).

There are several other points we make, around issues such as PEFCRs, replacement, environmental impact, aggressive marketing, and volumes; and we hope this will be helpful in the work moving forward. We would wish that JRC took more of a consumer perspective, than an industry perspective in their future work on ESPR for textiles and apparel.

To read our feedback, you can download a pdf of our 19 comments here, each comment starts with where in the 2nd milestone the wording or issue we address is, as this was required in the feedback.

Leisure and sustainable development in Norway: part of the solution and the problem

Carlo Aall, Ingun Grimstad Klepp, Agnes Brudvik Engeset, Silje Elisabeth Skuland and Eli Støa

Abstract

The article presents the results of two succeeding Norwegian studies on the environmental impacts of leisure consumption. The first study presents data on the total consumption of leisure products and services by Norwegians, showing that leisure consumption increases more than everyday consumption, the most energy-intensive leisure activities increase the most, leisure activities have become more dependent on transportation and that leisure activities are to an increasing extent based on more material consumption. The second study consists of case studies from four leisure activities in Norway that have experienced the greatest increases in consumption over the last two decades: outdoor recreation clothing, cabins, leisure boating and leisure transportation.

The case studies show that the problems connected with reducing the environmental impacts of leisure consumption are numerous and complex, and cannot be solved alone by technological improvements in leisure products and services. We conclude that new policies have to be developed which can on a short-term basis promote changes of leisure consumer habits in a more environmentally friendly direction, and on a long-term basis alter the existing strong links between economic growth and leisure consumption.

Click here to read the full article (tandfonline.com).

Leisure and sustainable development in Norway: part of the solution and the problem

Carlo Aall, Ingun Grimstad Klepp, Agnes Brudvik Engeset, Silje Elisabeth Skuland and Eli Støa

Abstract

The article presents the results of two succeeding Norwegian studies on the environmental impacts of leisure consumption. The first study presents data on the total consumption of leisure products and services by Norwegians, showing that leisure consumption increases more than everyday consumption, the most energy-intensive leisure activities increase the most, leisure activities have become more dependent on transportation and that leisure activities are to an increasing extent based on more material consumption. The second study consists of case studies from four leisure activities in Norway that have experienced the greatest increases in consumption over the last two decades: outdoor recreation clothing, cabins, leisure boating and leisure transportation.

The case studies show that the problems connected with reducing the environmental impacts of leisure consumption are numerous and complex, and cannot be solved alone by technological improvements in leisure products and services. We conclude that new policies have to be developed which can on a short-term basis promote changes of leisure consumer habits in a more environmentally friendly direction, and on a long-term basis alter the existing strong links between economic growth and leisure consumption.

Click here to read the full article (tandfonline.com).