In an extended episode of Ecotextile Talks, the way in which the apparel sector responds to natural disasters is placed under the microscope.

Podcast host David Styles is this week joined by two guests to discuss reports which respectively shine a light on the past, present and potential future of the industry’s collective response to crises caused by catastrophes such as earthquakes or extreme weather events.

First, Penelope Kyritsis from the Worker Rights Consortium discusses the findings of a white paper exploring the responses of major apparel brands to the devastating earthquake in Turkey earlier this year.

The report brings together the perspectives of 16 fashion brands and 202 suppliers situated in the affected region, with various trends and contradictions highlighted.

In the second part of the programme, Styles is joined by Jason Judd, executive director of Cornell University’s Global Labor Institute, to outline the key strands of a recent study which argues climate breakdown could lead to apparel sector losses of $65 billion without appropriate planning and precautionary measures being taken.

In addition to spotlighting the potential disruption facing the sector – especially in the most ‘climate vulnerable’ garment producing nations, such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan and Vietnam – Judd shares his insights on how the sector can best prepare to counteract such risks.

This topic, along with many others, is also the subject of our news videos available via both the Ecotextile Views homepage and @ecotextileviews YouTube channel.