This article first appeared on British Vogue.
It’s no secret that sustainability has slipped down the fashion agenda in recent years. But as we get closer to 2030 – the date by which greenhouse gas emissions need to be slashed by 45 per cent, for us to stay in line with the Paris Agreement’s mission to keep global warming to 1.5C – a whole raft of brands are now releasing new sustainability reports. Last month, Chanel published its first climate transition plan, setting out its target to reach net zero emissions by 2040. That was followed up by Ralph Lauren announcing a revised target of reducing emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 (after dropping its net zero target last year), while H&M revealed in its report that it has reduced emissions by 35.6 per cent across its supply chain.
The latest brand to share its rebooted sustainability strategy? Louis Vuitton, which is launching its Regeneration 2030 roadmap today. Moving beyond its pre-existing commitments to reduce its environmental footprint, the LVMH-owned fashion house is now aiming to have a positive impact on the planet. “The question today is no longer how to limit [our] negative impact,” Christelle Capdupuy, Louis Vuitton’s senior vice president of sustainability, tells Vogue. “The world is under pressure: the climate is changing, biodiversity is receding, and water scarcity threatens our planet. At Louis Vuitton, more than 90 per cent of our raw materials comes from nature. This is why we decided to evolve our commitment beyond preservation towards regeneration, in order to contribute positively to ecosystem restoration.”
To achieve this, Louis Vuitton is committing to restoring one million hectares of flora and fauna habitats by working in partnership with the conservation charity People For Wildlife, as well as looking to create a positive impact within its own supply chain. “[We are] placing regenerative agriculture in the heart of our approach, because it will decrease the impact on the soil and restore biodiversity, and also capture more carbon,” Capdupuy explains.
As part of its current sustainability strategy, Louis Vuitton has increased the amount of certified and recycled materials it uses from 52 per cent to 98 per cent over the past five years. Now, the brand is raising its ambition level, setting a target to source 100 per cent of its virgin cotton, wool and leather from regenerative sources by 2030. “Regenerative agriculture must be scalable, and scalability lies in working hand-in-hand with the farmers,” Capdupuy continues. “We are not targeting small volumes.”
Circularity is another key part of the Regeneration 2030 roadmap. At the end of last year, Louis Vuitton launched an initiative called Resource, in order to ensure the brand’s own unused materials and deadstock is reused, while also setting a new target of including a minimum of 20 per cent of recycled or bio-sourced content into products. “[The strategy is based on] reuse, rework and recycle, and transforming existing materials into new resources,” Capdupuy explains. When it comes to extending the life of its products, the brand is looking to expand its services at its 11 repair centres to include all product categories, beyond leather bags.
At a time when many brands are falling behind on their climate commitments, Capdupuy says that Louis Vuitton is “more than half way” to reaching its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent, compared to 2018 levels. Given that much of the industry has gone silent when it comes to sustainability, why has the fashion house decided to step up its commitments now? “If we succeed in doing it, everybody can,” Capdupuy replies. “When it comes to sustainability, collaboration is key. It’s really this responsibility that we have to share our vision, share our achievements, [and] to say everybody can do it – so let’s do it.”
