Fashion brands fail to show ethical commitments being met, new report shows

Key points

• Progress on ethical and sustainable practice in Australia's fashion industry has stalled, according to Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report, which assessed 500 brands across 48 measures. Brands averaged 31.5 out of 100, a marginal rise from 2024.
• Katherine Halliday said companies were writing sound policies but failing to put them into practice for garment workers, particularly on living wages and access to grievance mechanisms.
• Luxury and fast fashion brands scored similarly, while outdoor brand Patagonia ranked highly.