Stella McCartney uses climate talks to skewer trade policies

In Dubai, sustainable fashion pioneer Stella McCartney used the COP28 climate talks to draw attention to policy roadblocks to widespread use of environmentally friendly materials in fashion—namely, taxes that are incurred by vegan leather items.

McCartney, which uses alternative leathers made from biobased materials like grape waste and mushrooms, said in a speech at the landmark meeting that her handbags face a 30% tariff in the United States—an expense that can be completely negated by using a tiny amount of animal leather in her designs.

She told CNN such a system rewards polluters. She also called for tariffs on unsustainable fashions to boost the use of lower-carbon fabrics and leather alternatives.  “The responsibility is on fashion brands, in collaboration with private and public leaders, to increase the speed of decarbonization,” the company said in a blog post.