By Laura Chung and Abby Seaman

January 29, 2023 — 5.00am

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When Matt Burns opened his golf store in Paddington 18 months ago, he wanted to ensure the clothing he sold stood out in the market. Going green, he believed, would help.

“Golf is particularly bad in making garments offshore from really cheap fabrics which creates too much fast fashion,” Burns, who owns Angus and Grace Go Golfing, said.

Mammoth efforts have gone into making the financial and manufacturing sectors greener recently. For example, company reports are littered with references to Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance frameworks - a term born from a 2004 United Nations initiative, while new leadership roles whose sole purpose is to address sustainability have been created.

Confectionary companies have redesigned more sustainable packaging, while outdoor apparel store Patagonia’s founder gave the company away to a structured trust and non-profit designed to pump the company’s profits into saving the planet.

But most businesses don’t have the same financial or resource backing that larger ones do. Burns is just one of 2.5 million small to medium business owners in Australia, many of whom are trying to integrate greener practices in their day-to-day operations.

For example, Burns works with a northern NSW company that ensures the carbon sequestered from growing cotton is greater than the carbon needed to produce the shirts he’ll sell.

“Fashion is a...

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