In the third episode of the UN climate action podcast, No Denying It, Bollywood actor and UN Goodwill Ambassador Dia Mirza introduces sustainable fashion advocate Aditi Mayer, who explains the links between the fashion industry, the climate crisis, and colonialism.
'When we decolonize fashion, the climate benefits too'
Aditi Mayer uses her platform to start conversations on fashion through the lens of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, socio-economic status and much more.
For the 52,000-plus followers on her personal Instagram account, she is a spokesperson for small sustainable businesses, local and minority-run brands, a speaker on concepts of ethical manufacturing practices, and a creator of visually-compelling editorials that spotlight designers’ works.
She is currently working to organize garment workers in Los Angeles, and to promote regional fabric manufacturing techniques. Ms. Mayer inspires us to look to the pre-colonial past for indigenous solutions that are less harmful to our climate, and to understand how systems of labour, agriculture, and climate interconnect.
Dia Mirza
Dia Mirza is a model, actor, producer, and activist. She was appointed Goodwill Ambassador to the UN Environment Programme for India in 2017, and serves as a UN Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals.
As a voice of environmental and wildlife conservation, Ms. Mirza has campaigned across her native India for nature-related causes and helped lead the 2018 global campaign to beat plastic pollution alongside the UN.
She is also a founding member of the Wildlife Trust of India's Club Nature, and an ambassador for numerous initiatives including the Swachh Bharat Mission to improve waste management and Sanctuary Asia’s Tiger Conservation, and she is the the first Indian Ambassador for Save the Children. Ms. Mirza is also a Member of the Governing Board of the Sanctuary Nature Foundation, India’s leading nature and conservation forum.
