Written by Sara McQuaid, Creative Content Manager @ Threading Change

December 31, 2024.

5-minute read.

IT’S (ALMOST) 2025!?... How?!

2024 was a momentous year for Threading Change. We hosted our inaugural Fair Fashion Festivals in Toronto, Halifax, Nairobi, and Bangalore, engaging with over 3,500 participants and diverting over 700 pounds of textile waste from landfills. If you want to learn more about our year, check out our fabulously positive Impact Report (trust us, it’s more inspiring than an Instagram scroll!).

While there’s still plenty of work ahead—and we’re already excited to dive in—we want to take this moment to thank you, our readers and changemakers. You fuel our mission and keep us fighting every day for a fossil-fuel-free, feminist fashion future.

As we step into 2025, let’s shed the heavy coat of negativity and wrap ourselves in the warmth of the positive progress we made in 2024. Together, we can continue to create a brighter, more sustainable future!

Beautiful Bills and Divine Directives

Bill 707 Approved on September 28, 2024: For anyone in sustainable fashion, this was the moment. The California Senate Bill 707, the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, requires producers of clothing and textiles to establish and manage recycling or take-back programs for their products. Starting in 2026, companies selling apparel, footwear, or other textiles in California must offer consumers convenient options to return items for proper recycling or reuse.

A bill (No. 2129): In March 2024, the French National Assembly approved a significant bill targeting fast fashion, aiming to curb its environmental and social impact. Dubbed the "anti-fast fashion law," it proposes penalties for companies producing and selling high volumes of disposable clothing. Starting in 2025, an eco-contribution penalty of €5 per product will be imposed on environmentally harmful items, increasing annually to €10 by 2030. The revenue will support sustainable textile initiatives. The law also introduces measures like banning fast fashion advertising from January 2025, including promotions by influencers, to tackle overconsumption and waste. While the bill still requires Senate approval to be fully enacted, the progress made is remarkable.

DIRECTIVE (EU) 2024/1760: From July 2024, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) went into effect in the European Union. As part of the EU’s push for sustainable development, it establishes corporate due diligence obligations to address adverse impacts on human rights and the environment throughout global value chains. It aligns with initiatives like the European Green Deal and the European Pillar of Social Rights. The directive requires companies, especially large ones, to identify, prevent, and mitigate risks related to human rights abuses and environmental harm within their operations and those of their subsidiaries or partners. This legislation builds on international standards, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, aiming to enhance corporate accountability and sustainability practices. It is designed to improve consumer trust, investor confidence, and ensure fair working conditions globally.

REGULATION (EU) 2024/1781: On July 18, 2024, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation went into effect. This legislation is forcing producers to reconsider the design of their products and ensure they can be circular and recyclable once they reach the end of their lifecycle.

Fashioning a Wonderful World for Animals

London Fashion Week announced it will ban the use of animal skins on the runway. This includes crocodile, snake, and leather products. The British Fashion Council has declared that, to walk the runways, brands must demonstrate their commitment to keeping animals off the catwalk. This regulation came after growing pressure from animal activist groups, reminding us that yes—you do have the power to save those without a voice.

The UK appointed an “Envoy for Nature,” Ruth Davis, a leader in environmental policy. Her role is to aid the country in restoring nature and diversity through domestic and foreign policies. Animal biodiversity is currently under threat in the UK, with one in six species endangered.

The EU Nature Restoration Law was adopted in mid-2024. This regulation has specific targets to promote the protection of forests, marine, agricultural, and urban ecosystems, pollinating insects, and river connectivity. The aim is to restore a minimum of 20% of EU land and sea areas by 2030 and to fully restore damaged ecosystems by 2050.

In Cyprus, the turtle population increased by 25% thanks to conservation efforts and policies keeping partygoers off the beach. Those caught in protected areas can be fined up to €17,000.

Finance for a Better Future

In November 2024, environmentalists in Canada rejoiced at the news that nine philanthropic families will donate over $400 million to assist in meeting the country’s climate goals.

Melinda Gates has committed $1 billion through her investment and philanthropic company, Pivotal Ventures, to support gender equality initiatives, women’s empowerment, and family programs. This pledge focuses on expanding women’s influence and power in various domains, promoting workplace equality, and addressing systemic barriers that hinder women’s progress. Gates also emphasizes engaging young men in these efforts to promote a more equitable society, reminding us that yes, men also face barriers they must overcome.

Justice for the Next Generation

Australia has committed to enhancing children’s online privacy protections by aligning with global efforts to address vulnerabilities in online learning systems that emerged during the pandemic. This move comes after investigations revealed widespread privacy violations in digital education platforms used worldwide. These platforms often tracked and stored children’s data without adequate safeguards, exposing them to risks such as behavioral profiling and targeted advertising.

Tajikistan and Laos have banned corporal punishment for children, ensuring lawful protection against harsh punishments like physical and sexual abuse or torture.

Sierra Leone has banned child marriage! The law legally punishes anyone who forces children under the age of 18 into marriage, and those who were married against their will can seek financial compensation. What makes the law exceptionally progressive is that it also punishes those involved in the process, such as the officiant, the parents of the child, and even those who attended the wedding. According to UNICEF’s 2020 report, about one-third of girls in Sierra Leone—or 800,000 individuals—were married before 18, with half married by age 15. In contrast, only 4% of boys were married before 18.

That’s All for Now, Folks!

We want to send out a giant final thank-you to you, our readers, and the community. Without your support, we would not be able to accomplish our dreams of a fossil-fuel-free, feminist fashion future. No one can predict what fresh mayhem 2025 will unleash into the world, but Threading Change can promise our continual dedication to fighting for a cleaner, greener, and more equitable planet.

See you in 2025!

PS: Can someone call Jeremy Allen White and request that he do a photoshoot for Patagonia, please? Asking for a friend. 👀

Edited by: Luiza Giocondo Teixeira, Communications & Engagement Director @ Threading Change

A Roundup of 2024’s Good News in Ethical Fashion, Climate, and Social Justice

New Year, Real Change.