How Fashion Retailers Can Avoid Greenwashing by Getting Operational Visibility Right

Fashion has a greenwashing problem, and it’s no longer limited to fabrics or fast fashion. As brands like ASOS, H&M and Zara face growing scrutiny over bold sustainability claims, the expectation has shifted from storytelling to proof. What’s said in campaigns and reports must now stand up to real-world scrutiny.

While most attention has been placed on materials, recycling initiatives and supply chains, one critical area remains underexamined: how retail buildings actually perform day to day. Warehouses, fulfilment centres and stores are some of the largest contributors to a retailer’s carbon footprint, yet they are often the least visible in sustainability conversations.

This is where a new approach is needed. Not more systems, but better operational visibility.

The Hidden Gap in Retail Sustainability

Many fashion brands promote progress on sustainable sourcing or carbon-neutral delivery, but struggle to accurately track what’s happening across their own estates.

Behind the scenes, there are significant challenges:

• Fulfilment centres running 24/7 HVAC and lighting with limited optimisation
• Stores with inconsistent energy performance across locations
• Stockrooms and back-of-house areas with unmanaged energy use
• Ageing building systems driving inefficiencies, costs and emissions

Without clear, trusted data, it becomes difficult to validate sustainability claims, or to improve performance in a meaningful, measurable way.

From Technology to Operational Clarity

Rather than adding another layer of complexity, the focus is shifting toward creating a single, reliable operational layer across buildings, one that connects existing systems, surfaces trusted information and helps teams take action with confidence.

This approach moves beyond the idea of a “digital twin” as a model, and instead delivers practical value in how buildings are run every day.

With the right operational visibility, retailers can:

• Understand energy use and emissions across all sites in real time
• Identify inefficiencies and act on them quickly
• Benchmark performance across locations
• Support facilities and sustainability teams with clear, usable insights
• Create a consistent, auditable record of operational performance

The result is not just better data, but better decisions.

Turning Sustainability from Claims into Evidence

Retailers are under increasing pressure from both regulators and consumers to back up sustainability claims. In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is actively addressing greenwashing, while EU regulation is pushing for greater accuracy and accountability.

This means that high-level commitments are no longer enough. Brands need evidence, rooted in how their operations actually perform.

By connecting building systems and turning complex data into clear actions, Twinview enables retailers to:

• Track and benchmark energy performance across their estate
• Link operational activity directly to sustainability goals
• Automates reporting with reliable, real-time data
• Identify opportunities for efficiency, cost reduction and emissions savings

Crucially, it provides a defensible record of what is happening in practice, not just what is promised.

Why Operations Matter More Than Ever

Sustainability in fashion cannot stop at the product label. The buildings where goods are stored, moved and sold are a fundamental part of the story.

Without transparency at this level, even the strongest sustainability messaging risks falling short.

Twinview is not another system to manage, it’s the intelligence layer that helps teams run buildings better. By connecting what already exists and turning data into action, it enables safer, more efficient and more sustainable estates.

In an industry built on image, this shift brings something more powerful: clarity, accountability and measurable progress.