Kering conglomerate makes a climate decision

Kering is a French luxury conglomerate that includes fashion giants such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and. Together with LVMH, these are the two largest groups focused on luxury fashion. It is led by François-Henri Pinault, who also chairs a foundation of the same name dedicated to addressing violence against women worldwide. In addition, the conglomerate is involved in numerous other social initiatives, supports the development of young talent, and collaborates with art schools.

Last Friday, Kering officially committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2035. This initiative aligns with its vision of responsible luxury and complements its evolving sustainability strategy. It marks a significant step toward a climate revolution in the fashion industry. What exactly is Kering promising, and what impact will this decision have?

Luxury fashion and the climate

How does the fashion industry impact the climate? We now have enough information to know that fashion significantly contributes to negative changes in our climate. It is estimated that the fashion industry is responsible for as much as 2 to 8 percent of global CO2 emissions. To put this into perspective, that’s more than air, sea, and shipping transport combined. The statistics on water consumption are even more alarming—around 215 trillion liters of water are used by the industry every year.

Additionally, so-called fast fashion clothing is produced on a massive scale, and more than half of global production ends up in landfills. All of this contributes to the mass acceleration of consumer goods consumption. Luxury products are definitely more durable. Thanks to a focus on high-quality materials, they are designed to last longer than mass-market goods. As a result, this requires less demand for burning and textile waste. Moreover, the exclusivity of luxury clothing means these products are available in much smaller quantities.

Therefore, although the luxury fashion segment undoubtedly contributes to the climate crisis, its share is significantly smaller. Exclusive brands can afford to produce a smaller number of specialized, well-crafted products. Most of them have already taken steps to improve the climate situation, knowing they can act for the environment even if it means higher costs.

Balanced development

Global luxury fashion giants have been gradually moving towards sustainability for several years now. It turns out that Kering was not the first with its statement, LVMH has also been aiming to reduce its scope 1 and 2 emissions (greenhouse gases resulting from energy use in factories and stores) by 50% by 2026, and is targeting a 55% reduction in scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions per unit of added value by 2030.

Prada is also working to reduce its carbon footprint, having already achieved its goal in 2021 of transforming its iconic line of nylon clothing and accessories entirely into recycled materials. Today, the brand produces over 100 million yards annually of its Re-Nylon fabric, made from plastic and consumer waste.

What is Kering planning?

“Now we are setting this new absolute target, covering scopes 1, 2, and 3 of the greenhouse gas protocol, because if we truly want to decarbonize our global businesses, we must move from reducing carbon intensity to achieving absolute reductions,” said François-Henri Pinault.

As we mentioned, Kering manages luxury companies, including Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen. Its influence on the brands and their policies is significant, all of which points to positive changes ahead. Kering is set to release its sustainability progress report for 2020-2023, in which it will outline its new biodiversity strategy. Once again, Kering demonstrates its commitment to driving positive change and making an impact on the industry. Undoubtedly, this step will bear fruit in the near future.