Lutz Walter founded and leads the European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP), a network of research and technology experts from the textile sector, including representatives from universities and technology centers from all over Europe. Lutz is a thoughtful thinker and analyst when it comes to the future of the European textile industry, and so we wanted to hear his views on the potential of the European industry to reach its science-based climate targets and what role innovation can and should play. Michael and Lutz discuss a range of topics, including why misinformation can lead to bad decisions and policies and therefore why there is a need to define the climate challenge as accurately as possible, why he believes in focusing on energy systems and electrification, and which climate investments he thinks will give the most “bang for the buck”. They also discuss the challenge of overconsumption and the problem with the fashion business model, the potential of European legislation to drive change, whether the EU is investing sufficiently in sustainable innovations, and why textile recycling will continue to struggle with scaling.
Sustainability was not on the radar in 2006. It only really emerged as a strategic priority for the European textile industry around 2009 or 2010.
We need to separate global from local challenges. CO₂ emissions are a global problem—they demand global solutions.
We should be optimizing for the lowest impact per wear. The more times you wear a garment, the less impact it has.
