Sustainable Fashion Community Event + Policy Dialogue
INVITATION
Policy Dialogue: Sustainable and circular textiles in the EU and the Greek context; Latest EU Policy developments for the textile sector
Sustainable Fashion Community Event: Pitches & Exhibits from Innovators Fashion Entrepreneurs. Reception with Finger Food & Drinks
Location: Physical event Athens, French Institute in Greece (Institut Français de Grèce), 31 SIna str, 106 80 Athens
Livestreamed at Fashion Revolution Greece Facebook and Instagram @fash_revgr
Live Translation in three languages: Greek, English and French
Date and time: 29 September (16:00-21:00)
Organisers: Fashion Revolution Greece, Fair Trade Advocacy Office, Athens University of Economics and Business
Under the Auspices: Ministry of Culture and City of Athens co-funded by the EU EASME COSME program
Agenda
Sustainable Fashion Community Event
Panel 1: Investors & Innovators SMEs 16:00-17:30
Dimitris Georgakopoulos Green Impact Investor, Founder Helidoni Foundation, Grant Donor FR Greece
Guy Krief Angel Investor in Circular Fashion & Tech, includ. References NYC USA
Katerina Pramatar Partner Uni.Fund, Ass. Prof AUEB, Founder ACEin incubator
Leda Karabela the Silicon Valley US Greek Community
Moderator: Dr Fiori A Zafeiropoulou, Head of Research Centre on Sustainable Fashion AUEB, Founder Fashion Revolution Greece, SOFFA & Wear Your Origins
Policy Dialogue
Academic Coordinator: Prof George Ioannou, Professor of Operations Management & Director of Management Science Lab Athens University of Economics & Business, f.CEO Stock Energy Group
Moderator: Dr Fiori A Zafeiropoulou, Head of Research Centre on Sustainable Fashion MSL AUEB, Founder Fashion Revolution Greece, SOFFA & Wear Your Origins
Background of the Policy Framework: May Hylander Fair Trade Advocacy Office
Panel 2: Policy Makers: EU, Government & Regional 17:45-19:00
Nicholas Yatromanolakis Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports
Maria Spyraki MEP Member of the Committee for the Environment
Alexis Georgoulis MEP Member of the Committee on Culture & Education (pre-recorded)
Katerina Gkagkaki Vice-Mayor for Social Solidarity & Civil Society CIty of Athens
Lisa Lang Director Policy & EU Affairs Orchestrator EIT Climate KIC. Forbes Top 50 Women in Tech. Innovation & Skills Expert & Founder of Electrocouture
Panel 3: Industry Representatives & Stakeholders 19:00-20:15
Orsalia Partnenis President of Greek Association of Fashion Designers
Meletis Karabinis f.General Director at the Hellenic Clothing Industry Association – SKEE & SEPEE
Paul Efmorphidis Founder of Coco-mat (online)
Fredrik Timour CEO Fashion Innovation Centre, Stockholm
Francesca Romano Rinaldi Director Monitor for Circular Fashion, SDA Bocconi School of Management
Matthew Anderson Senior Lecturer Business Ethics, Innovations in Fair Trade, University of Portsmouth
Delphine Williot Fashion Revolution Global Policy team
Description:
The Policy Dialogue will bring together policy makers at national and EU level, government and local authorities officials, civil society representatives, industry associations and impact investors, as well as big companies and SMEs to discuss the latest developments in EU policy that affect the textile sector, their opportunities and limits in ensuring sustainable and circular textile supply chains, with a particular focus on the Greek context.
Parallel to the dialogues the Sustainable Fashion Community Event will start at 16:00 with pitches from international Fashion Entrepreneurs and a Circular Fashion Exhibition from innovators international fashion entrepreneurs. Reception with drinks and finger food at the yard of the French Institute in Greece.
Background:
This year in March, the European Commission adopted an EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. The strategy was announced in the 2020 new circular economy action plan, which identified textiles as a key product value chain that required urgent EU action due to its high use of resources and great impact on the environment. The strategy provides that by 2030 “textile products placed on the EU market are long-lived and recyclable, to a great extent made of recycled fibres, free of hazardous substances and produced in respect of social rights and the environment”.. It introduces a number of instruments that should work in synergy to reach this goal, such as the proposal for a new Ecodesign Regulation, which sets down mandatory minimum requirements for the inclusion of recycled fibres in textiles, making them longer-lasting, and easier to repair and recycle; and a Digital Product Passport for all regulated products, containing mandatory information on circularity and other environmental aspects. The strategy also recognizes the role public procurement of Member States can play in incentivizing more sustainable production and consumption, and promises to introduce mandatory criteria for green public procurement. Although the strategy seems well equipped to deliver in making textile products more environmentally sustainable, many civil society organizations argue that more should have been done to address social aspects and human rights of garment workers.
In parallel, the proposal for a Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDD) Directive, adopted in February, introduces a duty for big companies to assess, prevent and mitigate adverse human rights impacts in their whole value chain. However, the proposed CSDD
