Fair wages benefit Italians and the environment
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The Clean Clothes Campaign argues that Italy lags behind on providing fair wages, and they are now linking this issue to climate justice.
On World Decent Wage Day, the group calculated a new decent wage threshold of 12 euros net per hour, equal to 2,063 euros net per month, for full-time work starting in 2026.
They point to a growing gap between worker pay and the rising cost of living, noting that real wages in the private sector decreased by an average of 6.6% between 1990 and 2026, and by 40.8% for the poorest 10% of workers. The organization connects low wages to climate change, explaining that those with fewer resources are disproportionately affected by extreme weather events.
They cite a report showing the wealthiest 0.1% of the world’s population consumed enough resources in ten days to exceed the annual carbon budget needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Studies also indicate that when wealth concentrates at the top, environmental degradation increases. The Clean Clothes Campaign advocates for a basic decent wage as both a social justice issue and a crucial step in climate adaptation.
Coordinator Deborah Lucchetti explains that a fair wage would allow workers to better cope with the climate crisis by providing access to essential goods and services. The group believes this is a necessary first step in a just transition that doesn’t leave anyone behind, particularly within the fashion industry where factory workers in countries like Cambodia face dangerous heat conditions.
