Major retailer sparks outrage with money-driven policy change — here's why it's being called greenwashing
Inditex, Zara's parent company, was found to have charted an increase in carbon pollution last year despite its self-professed commitment to sustainability.
Inditex says it's committed to halving its carbon dioxide pollution by 2030, but the numbers show otherwise. Devdiscourse reported a 10% increase in carbon emissions from 2023 to 2024.
The company cited global conflicts as the main reason. Regular transportation routes had to be changed, leading to longer travel and higher pollution.
It's not like Inditex's pollution rates were low prior to 2024, though. In 2023, Inditex released about 2.4 million tons of CO2. This is part of an ongoing trend for the company, which has seen increasing air pollution rates each year.
It seems like air freight is to blame. Though Inditex's representatives told Bloomberg that they primarily used sea and land to ship their products, about 75% of the Zaragoza airport is reserved for Inditex shipments.
This isn't the only fast fashion company polluting the planet with its irresponsible policies. Companies like Shein and Temu, competing for ultra-fast shipping times, release up to 5,000 tons of CO2 in a single day.
Until Inditex can get its pollution rates down, its sustainability policies seem closer to greenwashing than sincere commitments to invest in reducing its pollution.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, air freight was typically used for time-sensitive deliveries like perishable food items, a Stand.earth report detailed.
However, during the pandemic and beyond, air freight was used to ship other items, clothing being one of them.
This heavy reliance on air travel can lead to potential health risks. Stand.earth's report highlighted that those in close proximity to airports are exposed to more "toxic pollutants," leading to a higher likelihood of breathing complications.
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Air freight also greatly contributes to the planet's overheating. The vast majority of aviation fuel comes from dirty energy sources, which warm the planet's atmosphere when burned. Air freight has been cited as being as much as 60 times more polluting for heat-trapping gases than ocean freight per mile at the same weight of cargo, as well as 10 times more than ground transport — though some estimates put the air-to-sea ratio a bit lower, at 25 times.
People around the world are breaking up with fast fashion. Thrifting is on the rise, with companies like eBay putting on runway shows proudly displaying pre-loved pieces.
If you want to combat this issue, commit to secondhand shopping. With a lower demand for fast fashion and a higher need for sustainable practices, companies like Inditex might actually curb their pollution.
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