In 2016, Leonardo DiCaprio won Best Actor for The Revenant - and instead of basking in the glow (or scanning the room for his next 24-year-old girlfriend), he used his acceptance speech to talk about climate change. He called it real, happening right now, and the most urgent threat facing our entire species, ending with “Let’s not take this planet for granted.” Reader, it worked. It was hot. At the time, it was really the only thing tying climate to awards shows, but since then the industry has made some progress to be more responsible.

The Academy Wants A Gold Star for Going Green

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has made some genuine strides. Since partnering with Red Carpet Green Dress Global in November 2022, they’ve distributed a “Sustainable Style Guide” to all Oscar attendees, providing guidance on sustainable red-carpet fashion. They’ve eliminated single-use plastic water bottles at events, switched to digital ticketing, and committed to offering 50% plant-based menus. The Academy Museum even earned a LEED Gold certification in 2022, and the Dolby Theatre runs on 100% renewable electricity.

But here’s the catch: While the on-the-ground details are improving, the larger carbon footprint remains: thousands of cross-country flights (many private), hotel stays, temporary infrastructure, and fashion that often gets one wear. It’s also worth noting that according to the Environmental Media Association, only one 2025 Oscar nominee - the Wild Robot - passed the climate reality check (meaning a character acknowledges climate change exists). I’m not 100% sold on the importance of fictional movies acknowledging climate change, but it’s another data point.

The Grammys deserve a little more applause. They’ve been “greening” their show since 2008 - using hybrid vehicles, renewable energy and donating leftover food. Plus, artists like billie Eilish are working with REVERB to make their tours a little less wasteful.

Broadway is the overachiever here (no surprise, nothing beats broadway). Thanks to the broadway Green Alliance, they’ve cut major emissions by switching to LEDs, using rechargeable batteries, and greening touring logistics. There’s a lack of transparency around the Tony Awards themselves, but the Broadway community is fully walking the walk.

Then there’s the Emmys, which are…quiet. While TV shows like Abbott Elementary and Grey’s Anatomy get recognition for sustainable production, the Emmy Awards haven’t publicized their own climate practices. So far, we’re left guessing.

And now…..FASHION.

It’s time we talk about the elephant wearing Valentino in the room: Just how sustainable are these glittering celebrations of excess?

The Red Carpet Green Dress (RCGD) initiative has been around since 2009, challenging designers to create Oscar-worthy gowns from sustainable materials. And slowly—very slowly—it's making an impact. Some celebrities are genuinely leading the charge:

Kylie Jenner: Kylie may stick to the same dress silhouette at every awards show, but this one hit differently. Her restored vintage Versace at this weekend’s Critics’ Choice Awards was the clearest reuse story of the night. And her romance with Timothée? The clearest love story.

Kate Hudson: Kate turned heads in a scarlet Stella McCartney Spring 2026 mini at the Critics’ Choice Awards proving sustainability and style can go hand in hand.

Cate Blanchett has become the queen of outfit repeating. At the 2020 Venice Film Festival, she rewore an Esteban Cortázar gown she first wore in 2015. During her Tár press tour, she repeatedly wore archival pieces, some updated with hand-beaded panels by Palestinian artisans. "This dress carries two stories," she said, "and both are worth telling again."

Emma Watson wore a Calvin Klein gown made from recycled plastic bottles to the 2016 Met Gala and has committed to only wearing sustainable fashion during press tours. She sits on the board of Kering, the luxury brand group pushing for green fashion.

Timothée Chalamet wore an upcycled Louis Vuitton suit to the 2022 Oscars and showed up in butter-yellow Givenchy leather at the 2025 ceremony—both serving looks while reducing waste.

Billie Eilish made headlines at the 2021 Met Gala by demanding Oscar de la Renta stop using fur before she'd wear their gown. They agreed. That's the kind of power celebrity advocacy should wield.

At Cannes 2025, we saw Aishwarya Rai in a handwoven Varanasi silk brocade, Gillian Anderson in Gabriela Hearst's sustainably-made designs, and even Naomi Campbell rewearing a 27-year-old Chanel dress. These aren't just fashion statements—they're proof that luxury and longevity can coexist.

But here's the uncomfortable truth: for every Cate Blanchett rewearing vintage, there are dozens of celebrities in one-off designer pieces that'll never see the light of day again. Red carpet fashion remains an industry built on newness, where samples are "locked and loaded for editorial" after a single wear, as stylist Tara Swennen puts it.

Some stylists are trying to change this. Swennen serves on the advisory council of New Standard Institute and the Fashion Sustainability and Accountability Act. She encourages clients to rewear pieces even if they've been photographed on other celebrities, pushing back against the toxic "Who Wore It Best" culture. Elizabeth Stewart, who styles Cate Blanchett, regularly pulls from archives instead of demanding new pieces.

Bottom line: Sustainable red carpet fashion is possible and increasingly visible, but it's still the exception rather than the rule. Until the industry stops treating clothing as disposable and starts celebrating rewears, we're just putting lipstick on a very wasteful pig.

What You Can Do (Even Without a Plus-One to the Oscars)

So, what’s a climate-conscious citizen to do?

• Support productions and artists that center environmental storytelling and walk the walk. (The Wild Robot, we see you.)
• Engage on social: celebrate outfit repeats, call out sustainable wins, and question the silence when it matters.
• Vote with your wallet: whether it’s the shows you stream, the brands you wear, or the tours you attend, your choices ripple out.
• Talk about it. Accountability doesn’t come from press releases—it comes from pressure.

Sustainability at award shows is no longer a fringe conversation. The seeds of change are planted—some are even growing—but we need more than symbolism. We need systems change. And like any great drama, it’ll take more than one star to get us to a satisfying ending.

Let’s keep watching... critically.

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