SDG 9: Building Resilient Infrastructure, Inclusivity, Sustainable Industrialization and Innovation

Jun 13

Written by: Isabelle Sain, Content Coordinator & Education Manager @ Threading Change

13 June 2022

[8-minute read]

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established seven years ago (2015) by the United Nations (UN) and were adopted by all UN Member States at the time to act as “a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.”

These SDGs were supposed to be the “urgent call” governments, industries, and citizens needed to commence the long and hard process of creating lasting change and global solidarity in the pursuit of a better tomorrow. Seven years down the line though, and many industries have barely begun implementing sustainable development.

Here at Threading Change, our speciality is fashion and the textile industry; that is what we can speak to, and so we encourage you to follow us along on this ride and learn about the UN SDGs and specifically how they relate to the fashion industry.

SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

SDG 9 looks at many issues related to industry, innovation and infrastructure inequities when it comes to sustainable economic growth. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were already key indications that many key infrastructures were crumbling. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the lack of workplace infrastructure and it has worsened with the climate crisis.

Fashion and SDG 9

SDG 9 is central to the issues rooted in industry and infrastructure of the fashion system. The fashion system is not broken–it was designed to be an industrial machine that produces more for less by sacrificing people’s lives and the planet. But SDG 9 provides a path to tear down and untangle the web of inequality and lack of sustainable infrastructure within the supply chain. There is an opportunity to create a new foundation that respects communal growth of people and the planet instead of profit.

We have to develop reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure to support economic development and people’s well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access to supportive public programs. Current factories are the bonds of modern day slavery–they are under regulated and trap the lives of workers in their low wages. Rana Plaza in Bangladesh collapsed on the 24th of April, 2013. Rana Plaza, a garment factory, employing around 5,000 people, collapsed after warnings of cracking within the walls and poor construction. The weeks leading up to the factory collapse, garment workers reported cracking in the ceiling. After the collapse, the Bangladesh Accord was signed, a five-year legally binding Global Framework Agreement between global brands, retailers and trade unions designed to build a safer garment industry. But, the accord falls short of advocating for sustainable, healthy systems for garment manufacturers and suppliers that respect the people. William Morris imagined what a factory could be. As a textile designer, William witnessed the industrial revolution’s impact on the textile industry and the workers. He rejected the principles when creating his own textile company where craft was respected for the actual craftsmanship. William Morris believed in creating a textile supply chain where workers would be able to find joy in their labour. Morris’ factories were spaces created to prioritise the well-being of workers over the profit.The factory had design principles and characteristics that do not exemplify the current factories. Morris’ factories had gardens, parks and acres of woods so there would be no air or water pollution. The buildings themselves were decorated and built beautifully. He believed in creating workspaces that emulated hope, beauty and inspiration. The buildings housed dining halls, a library, a school, and places to study. As William Morris said, “Nothing should be made by man’s labour which is not worth making, or which must be made by labour degrading to the workers.” There are ways where sustainable infrastructure can be implemented, but under the current business models, it can never be achieved. What we must do is invoke the radical imagination, as William Morris has done, to change the current means of production.

Waste is a newly developed concept from excess production and overconsumption. Creating new models to live by includes removing the idea of waste instead innovating with materials that are renewable. This additionally includes the building of infrastructure to manage the waste we have created. Fashion’s waste issue is expansive and a global problem that is not only affecting local communities and their infrastructure, but is also a huge flaw in sustainable design industrialization. There needs to be government incentives that can build new business models that are designed to create excess and waste. It’s critical to involve governments to develop legislations that shift to a circular economy and give incentives to brands to transition their infrastructure. All of us, from non-governmental organisations to citizens, must call on brands to implement sustainable and inclusive infrastructures. There must be support to fund transitioning, renovations, rebuilding and adding sustainable infrastructure to their supply chains factories.

The physical infrastructure is key to building resilient communities and sustaining people and environmental well-being, but the systems it takes up is how we can effectively commit to SDG 9 and build resilient, inclusive and sustainable infrastructure, communities and industry.

How can you help?

Rana Plaza, employing around 5,000 people, collapsed after warnings of cracking within the walls and poor construction. Big brands and retailers produce too much too quickly, and manipulate us into a toxic cycle of overconsumption. Meanwhile, the majority of infrastructure and economic conditions of the fashion system are dire and will only worsen with the climate crisis. We must call on brands who haven’t signed the accord or address SDG 9 in their supply chains to ensure a sustainable economy where every person can benefit. Furthermore, you can get involved with organisations demanding brands and retailers to #SignTheAccord.

If you missed our previous educational works on SDGs 1-8, check out our Instagram! Try searching the hashtag #ThreadingChangexSDGs to see all of our informative posts in one spot.

Sources

Chemitei, Janet, and Lynn Modester. “SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, and the Fashion Industry.” Threading Change, Threading Change, 2 May 2022, https://www.threadingchange.org/blog/sdg-7.

“Global Fashion Industry Statistics.” FashionUnited, fashionunited.com/global-fashion-industry-statistics. Accessed 26 Apr. 2022.

La Manna, Venetia, et al. Remember Who Made Them. rememberwhomadethem.com/about. Accessed 26 Apr. 2022.

Morris, William. “A Factory As It Might Be.” William Morris - A Factory As It Might Be, https://www.marxists.org/archive/morris/works/1884/justice/10fact1.htm.

“Rana Plaza Never Again.” ranaplazaneveragain.org/?mc_cid=4ab0d02739&mc_eid=5441cfca3a. Accessed 26 Apr. 2022.

“William Morris Quotes.” The History of Art, https://www.thehistoryofart.org/william-morris/quotes/.

“9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – Textile Exchange – SDGS.” Textile Exchange SDGS, https://textilesforsdgs.org/sdgs/goals/9-industry-innovation-and-infrastructure/.