Edel Coffey: Sustainability is not just about the environment — it’s about respect

Some days it seems like every waking decision I make has the flavour of eco-guilt marbled through it

Edel Coffey: For too many people, the word sustainability is still a turn-off

For decades, I’ve battled with climate guilt. What, you haven’t heard of climate guilt? It’s right up there with mother guilt for feelings such as ‘I’m not doing enough’ and ‘everybody else is doing this better than me’.

But last week I made a breakthrough in my battle with eco-guilt. It came courtesy of Livia Firth, founder and creative director of EcoAge (and also Mrs Colin Firth). ‘For me the closest word to sustainability is ‘respect’,’ she said. ‘Once you have respect for the people that make your clothes, you are already at an incredible advantage in terms of sustainable fashion."