Biodiversity and fashion:
how clothing impacts nature
A free, expert-developed curriculum using everyday clothing as a doorway to understanding biodiversity, climate change and our power to protect the planet: for students aged 9-14.
2
curriculum versions available, for years 4-6 and 7-8
3
topic modules per version, ready for engaging teaching
1.3M
Australian students this curriculum could reach and impact
Free
always — for every educator, everywhere
What is it?
A curriculum where clothes bring us to nature
The importance of biodiversity, as well as how we are destroying the natural world, can be hard to understand. Everyone gets dressed every day, making fashion a concrete, relatable entry point to teaching students about some of the most urgent environmental issues we are facing, and how we can contribute to solving them.
01
How does fashion impact biodiversity and wildlife?
02
What is the connection between fashion, deforestation and land degradation?
03
How does fashion contribute to climate change and how can we make a difference?
Why it matters:
Australia is one of the world’s biggest consumers of fast fashion.
Our classrooms haven’t caught up.
The fashion industry is responsible for significant biodiversity destruction, deforestation, and greenhouse gas emissions — yet it remains largely absent from sustainability education. This curriculum closes that gap.
92M
tonnes of clothing waste produced globally every year
300M
trees logged annually for cellulose-based clothing
80-120B
new garments produced globally every year
80%
Amazon deforestation linked to cattle ranching for leather
“This is not just a sustainable fashion program — it is a climate education program”.
- Fashion Takes Action
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT
Hope-based an solution oriented — not doom and gloom
Clear curriculum connections mapped out
Climate emotions acknowledged and supported with dedicated tools
Reviewed by teachers — primary and secondary, and a First Nations consultant
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander ecological knowledge woven through out
Engaging activities and supporting resources included
Tell us who you are and we’ll show you the right path
Who it’s for:
Whether you’re a teacher ready to bring this into your classroom, or a student or parent who wants to advocate for it at your school — we can help.
I’m a teacher or educator
I want to access the curriculum and bring it into my classroom. Get started by downloading the materials below.
I’m a student or parent
I want to bring this curriculum to my school. Give me a template to email my teacher or school and get the conversation started.
Access the curriculum
For educators:
Complete the form below and you’ll have instant access to both year level versions of the curriculum, support materials, and the climate emotions toolkit.
How it’s built:
Designed to the highest standard.
Accessible to every teacher.
The curriculum has been developed in line with international best-practice sustainability education frameworks, and reviewed specifically for the Australian context.
AC
Australian curriculum general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities
UN
UNESCO greening curriculum guidance: teaching and learning for climate action
EU
GreenComp - the European Sustainability Competence Framework
SDG
United Nations sustainable development goals
4, 12, 13 and 15
Developed through collaboration:
Fashion Takes Action
Canada’s only not-profit organisation devoted to advancing sustainability, ethics, and circularity in the entire fashion system. FTA’s My Clothes My World program has reached over 35,000 students.
Other educational resources and content:
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Student hub
If you’re a student, check out how you can make impact with Collective Fashion Justice. Start a total ethics fashion club, host a documentary film screening, and learn to repair your clothes.
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CFJ's work with universities
Learn more about how Collective Fashion Justice collaborates with universities to transform how fashion education reaches students, embedding ethics and sustainability in learning.
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Read our total ethics fashion primer
Explore our free booklet on total ethics fashion and how our clothes impact people, our fellow animals and the planet. This is a great starting point to learn from.