As Levi Strauss moves forward with its industry-leading climate action strategy, PUMA and Burberry are following suit with SBTi-approved science-based targets of their own.
Levi Strauss partners with IFC to reduce emissions, water use in textile factories
In 2018, Levi Strauss set a high bar for the fashion industry when it announced
a new climate action
strategy,
complete with aggressive science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions
throughout its entire global supply chain, not just its owned-and-operated
facilities, by 2025. Now, the apparel brand has announced the latest step in the
strategy — a cooperation agreement with International Finance Corporation
(IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, that will help the company meet
its corporate sustainability objectives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
(GHGs) and water use in its supply chain.
IFC will work with 42 designated LS&Co. suppliers and mills in 10 countries to
identify and implement appropriate renewable energy and water-saving
interventions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The work — which will
take place in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India,
Mexico, Lesotho, Colombia, Turkey, Egypt and Vietnam —
will incorporate IFC’s Partnership for Cleaner
Textiles approach for
reducing resource consumption and wastewater pollution. IFC and LS&Co. are
jointly contributing to the costs for implementing the agreement.
IFC will assess supplier and mill facilities to identify actions that can be
taken to catalyse substantial environmental benefits — including reduced
emissions, improved water efficiency and wider adoption of renewable energy
supply options. As the largest global development institution, with deep
sectoral and wide regional expertise, IFC is well placed to provide support to
this important and necessary initiative.
“Levi's strong commitment to sustainability makes it an ideal partner for IFC,”
said Tomasz Telma, senior director of manufacturing, agribusiness and
services at IFC. “This cooperation agreement shows how IFC can deliver advisory
and investment products that help our partners strengthen the sustainability of
their supply chains.”
The global textiles, apparel and footwear industry is a major driver of
industrialization and economic growth in many countries, employing 60 million
people, the majority of them women. But the industry also contributes as much
as 8 percent of total
GHGs and uses sizable
amounts of water in the cotton farming and textile production phases.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the IFC to help achieve our science-based
climate targets and benefit our vendors and their communities,” said Liz
O’Neill, EVP of global product and supply chain at LS&Co. “We hope this
program can also benefit others in the apparel industry and help reduce our
collective footprint.”
In 2017, IFC and LS&Co. launched a pilot cooperation agreement that helped six
LS&Co. suppliers in four countries — Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam —
cut their carbon footprint by 19 percent and reduce energy and water
consumption, leading to significant savings in operating costs. IFC has also
been working with LS&Co. to provide financial incentives for garment suppliers
in developing countries to upgrade environmental, health and safety and labor
performance through its Global Trade Supplier Finance program.
“Across the corporate world, people are waking up to the fact that better
sustainability performance drives better business performance,” said Michael
Kobori, LS&Co.’s VP of Sustainability. “Vendors in resource-stressed countries
have shown the ability to innovate based on conditions on the ground, but in
some cases, they need some assistance to make it work. This program provides
that assistance, which benefits not just those companies, but also people living
in those communities, as well as LS&Co.”
Burberry announces science-based targets
Image credit: Burberry
After last year’s PR nightmare, when it admitted to
incinerating
millions of dollars in unsold merchandise, Burberry appears to be turning
over a new leaf this year — with the release of its 2022 Responsibility
Strategy
and two new, ambitious climate goals approved by the Science Based Target
initiative (SBTi):
This expands the reach of the company’s existing goal to become carbon neutral
in its operational energy use by 2022; it is already carbon neutral across the
Americas region, EMEIA retail stores and UK operations. The targets covering
GHGs from Burberry’s operations (scopes 1 and 2) are consistent with reductions
required to keep warming to 1.5°C, the most ambitious goal of the Paris
Agreement.
The brand says it is also on track to achieve its RE100
commitment
to go 100 percent renewable, as it now obtains 58 percent of its total energy
(including 68 percent of electricity) from renewable sources. During 2018/19,
the iconic UK fashion brand achieved a 43 percent reduction in market-based
emissions compared to the 2016/17 base year.
“At Burberry, we are passionate about building a more sustainable future, and
setting these new targets in line with the latest climate science is an
important milestone for us,” said Pam Batty, Burberry’s VP Corporate
Responsibility. “For the first time, we are setting targets for greenhouse gas
emissions that apply to our extended supply chain, which is a significant
addition to our already ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral in our own
operational energy use by 2022. Changing the system requires collaboration, and
we will be working closely with our supply chain partners to take the action
needed to stay on track and achieve our goals.”
The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based
target-setting,
offers cutting-edge resources and expert guidance to reduce barriers to
adoption, and independently assesses and approves companies’ targets. It is
a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact,
World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF).
“The fashion industry’s environmental impact is significant and growing,” said
Cynthia Cummis, Director of Private Sector Climate Mitigation at
WRI. “Burberry’s ambitious science-based target demonstrates the leadership and
innovation needed to succeed in a zero-carbon world. To prevent catastrophic
climate change, it’s important that all major apparel and footwear brands set
science-based targets and pursue comprehensive strategies to decarbonize their
businesses.”
PUMA aims for 35% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030
Image credit: PUMA
Meanwhile, sportswear giant PUMA — which was at the forefront of environmental accounting with the release of its EP&L in 2011 — has committed to reduce emissions from
owned and operated facilities, as well as its energy needs (Scope 1 and 2
emissions) by 35 percent by 2030, compared to 2017. The company also aims to
reduce Scope 3 emissions, coming from purchased goods and services, by 60
percent per Million € in sales between 2017 and 2030.
“Recent scientific reports have highlighted the need for urgent action, as
global warming is happening at a faster pace than previously anticipated,”
said Stefan Seidel, PUMA’s Head of Corporate Sustainability. “That is
why PUMA wants to be a part of the solution by setting a bold path towards
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
PUMA, Burberry and Levi Strauss all play a leading role in the Fashion
Industry Charter for Climate
Action,
which was introduced at COP24 in Poland last year.
“We know that the fashion industry has a significant impact on the
environment, but rapid growth in global apparel and footwear production
shows no signs of slowing,” WRI’s Cummis said. “We need more companies in
the industry to follow PUMA’s lead and pursue comprehensive strategies to
decarbonize and do their part to prevent catastrophic climate change.”
Published Jul 3, 2019 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST
Sustainable Brands Staff