The campaign group has published a critical report on what it calls a lack of commitment by British brands to help tackle the climate crisis. It says only 3.4% of member brands of the British Fashion Council – the organiser of September’s London Fashion Week – have published targets to reduce emissions.

This contrasts with 44% of British companies overall which have a structured plan to reduce climate impact, the group said.

Emma Hakansson, founding director of CFJ, said: “This finding is an embarrassment for an industry that considers itself one of the most creative and innovative in the world. The British fashion industry has failed to meaningfully invest in climate action and government policy has failed to necessitate that investment. Without science-based targets to reduce emissions, the fashion industry will continue to damage our planet and put lives at risk.”

The group argues that the fashion and textiles industry is responsible for 12% of emissions globally, with the latest data from consultant McKinsey suggesting it is responsible for 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. This is the equivalent of the UK, Germany and France’s combined economies.

Hakansson added: “The British Fashion Council champions fashion as the UK’s largest creative industry, worth £26 billion and 800,000 jobs to the economy. As we approach one of the biggest events of the global fashion calendar, the BFC must demand more from its members and provide support for them to put in place meaningful climate targets with clear plans on how these will be achieved. British fashion brands must lead the way not only on the catwalks, but also on tackling climate change.”

The CFJ acknowledged that five brands do have science-based emissions reduction targets. These are: Burberry, Mulberry, Kyle Ho, Rixo and Margaret Howell.

The report adds that 38% of fashion industry greenhouse gas emissions are linked to raw material production, particularly those derived from ruminant animals (leather, wool, cashmere) and fossil fuels (polyester, acrylic, nylon).

Hakansson said: “The IPCC [intergovernmental panel on climate change] says that methane emissions must be slashed by a third to curb climate catastrophe. We need to see an urgent move away from animal-derived materials in fashion – they simply cannot continue to be green-washed and ignored.”

The British Fashion Council was approached for comment.