In response to the environmental damage caused by fast fashion, France once again attempted to be a pioneer in regulation. However, French lawmakers now appear to be backtracking. Caught between the climate emergency and the impact on the textile industry, is the anti-fast fashion law itself becoming "disposable"?

Unanimously adopted by the National Assembly on March 14, 2024, the French bill aimed at regulating fast fashion initially appeared to mark a turning point in environmental oversight of the textile sector. The original text underwent numerous amendments over time. However, the version revised by the Senate in March 2025 seems to have lost much of its ecological ambition, revealing tensions between environmental imperatives, economic interests, and political compromises.

A promising initial text

The bill was intended as a response to the massive negative externalities of the textile industry, which is responsible for 10% of global CO₂ emissions and widespread pollution of soil and water. Three key measures were proposed: a quantitative definition of fast fashion based on the number of models put on sale per year, targeting overproduction; an environmental bonus-malus system with penalties reaching up to 10 euros per polluting item by 2030; and a ban on advertising, including via influencers, to curb the promotion of disposable consumption.

These measures, while open to improvement, laid the foundations for a coherent ESG framework by combining environmental regulatory levers with tools to hold commercial practices accountable.

A weakened revised version

The version coming out of the Senate’s sustainable development committee significantly revised the text, reducing its environmental scope. The definition of fast fashion was limited to the number of models, excluding production volumes, which are at the core of ecological impact. The advertising ban was removed in the name of entrepreneurial freedom, weakening a key behavioral lever. The penalty system was maintained, but in a more flexible version, casting doubt on its actual effectiveness.

These adjustments reflect a desire to protect economic interests, particularly those of major European retailers, at the expense of structural change in the sector. To illustrate the growth of the industry: in France alone, over the past decade, the number of garments sold annually has increased by one billion, reaching 3.3 billion products — more than 48 per inhabitant — according to the Senate’s territorial planning and sustainable development committee.

Asymmetric targeting: towards two-speed regulation

In its watered-down version, the law mainly targets non-European ultra-fast fashion platforms, notably Shein and Temu, which flood the market with countless low-priced collections. In contrast, major European fast fashion brands such as Zara (Inditex, Spain), H&M (Sweden), Kiabi (France), Primark (Ireland), or Boohoo (UK) are excluded from the law's scope, as are multi-brand platforms like Asos or Zalando.

This choice raises several ESG-related criticisms. From an environmental perspective, it ignores the massive impact of European brands that continue to produce at scale using similar methods. Socially, it does not challenge precarious working conditions in global supply chains, including those of European brands. In terms of governance, it creates a distortion of competition by applying different rules based on the geographic origin of companies.

A missed opportunity for ambitious ESG regulation

This selective approach significantly limits the law’s reach, which no longer addresses the dominant European fast fashion model but focuses on Chinese companies instead. While the anti-fast fashion law represents a first attempt at national regulation of the textile sector, it remains largely symbolic in its current version. By targeting only certain players and abandoning structural levers, it fails to establish the foundations of a sustainable, fair, and transparent textile model.

To have real ESG impact, such legislation would need to be part of a coordinated European approach, integrating robust criteria for sustainability, traceability, and social justice.

From disposable to irresponsible: when ESG stalls in the face of fast fashion

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