Green Orientation and the Reconstruction of Ethical Mechanisms in the Governance of Digital Resources in the Apparel Industry

Abstract

This study examines the emerging tensions between digital transformation and environmental sustainability in the global fashion industry from the perspective of digital resource governance. As artificial intelligence, virtual sampling, and data-driven platforms increasingly reshape apparel production and consumption, the material and ecological costs of digitization have become impossible to ignore. Drawing on normative analysis and comparative institutional analysis, the paper conceptualizes Digital Environmental Governance (DEG) as a critical sub-field of digital resource governance, focusing on the environmental externalities of digital infrastructures embedded in fashion systems. Through comparative examination of governance practices in the European Union, China, and the Global South, the study reveals divergent yet complementary governance paradigms, ranging from rule-based regulation to project-oriented planning and frugal digital innovation. The paper further proposes a three-dimensional ethical reconstruction framework encompassing environmental responsibility, social inclusion, and intergenerational justice. By integrating governance theory with costume and culture studies, this research contributes a culturally grounded and ecologically oriented perspective on the future of digital fashion governance.