No, WEF did not say that humans will all wear a uniform by 2030

By: Ishita Goel
July 9 2023

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Context

A viral narrative on social media alleges that the World Economic Forum (WEF) said that humans will wear uniforms and that fashion will be abolished by 2030. The post shows a screenshot of an article by The People’s Voice, which was published on July 3, 2023, by Sean Adl-Tabatabai. The headline reads "WEF Says Fashion Will Be Abolished by 2030: 'Humans Will All Wear a Uniform'" and has an image of WEF founder Klaus Schwab.

However, the claim is false and originates from a website known for regularly publishing misinformation. 

In Fact

We could not find any article or report referring to any such subject in the viral post on the WEF website. We did not find any reports by credible sources on the abolition of fashion or the implementation of uniforms for humans by WEF.

We traced the article to the website The People's Voice, formally known as NewsPunch and YourNewsWire, known for publishing false and unverified information and fabricating stories. Logically Facts has previously debunked a myriad of articles published by them. 

The People’s Voice article refers to a 2019 report titled “The Future of Urban Consumption in a 1.5°C World.” The strap of the article claims that “The World Economic Forum has declared that by 2030 fashion will become completely obsolete and all humans will be vegan, whether they like it or not.” The People's Voice alleged that WEF funded the report.

The 2019 report was published by Arup, a firm comprising a global collective of designers, consultants, and experts dedicated to sustainable development. The report clearly states that it was co-created and co-delivered by C40, Arup, and the University of Leeds with funding from Arup, the University of Leeds, and Citi Foundation. There was no mention of WEF or Schwab. While they may not have funded this report, it may be noted that WEF is listed as a partner of Arup on their site. However, the WEF is a non-governmental organization and does not have the power to dictate government decisions.

The report said people should reduce the number of new clothing items bought yearly to minimize supply chain waste and reduce consumption-based emissions. However, it did not mention anything about implementing uniforms or abolishing fashion. The research, per the 2015 Paris Agreement, sets targets for cities to reduce Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The report is not a law or a legal document binding and is more a recommendation than a concrete change.

Further, Climate Action, an organization working towards sustainable growth, wrote a brief on the report. This, too, did not mention anything about fashion or uniforms.

Logically Facts also reached out to the WEF for clarification. Yann Zopf, Head of Media – Public Engagement and a Member of the Executive Committee, WEF, said, “The World Economic Forum never called to abolish fashion and never made the statement that ‘Humans Will All Wear a Uniform.’ These are false claims to discredit the important work that the World Economic Forum does on serious global challenges.”

WEF has long been a target for misinformation and conspiracy theories linked to New World and the Great Reset conspiracy theories. Logically Facts has debunked many of these claims. 

The Verdict

WEF did not fund the report mentioned by The People's Voice, and no evidence shows that WEF plans to abolish fashion and introduce uniforms. The 2019 report referenced in the article shows a path for emission reduction and doesn’t mention a ban on fashion.