The French luxury goods group Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) presented on Thursday, December 14, 2023, the first results of its LIFE 360 program (LVMH Initiatives for the Environment), launched in 2021.
He invited around 500 managers and partners to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, including LVMH Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault, his eldest son and head of the image and communications department Antoine Arnault, and Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU Commissioner for the Environment , Oceans and Fisheries and Christophe Béchu, French Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion.
Corporations must lead by example
“Large companies can lead by example and promote greener behavior, transparency and traceability in supply chains. Investors and banks must systematically look for clean alternatives. And small companies can also contribute with their skills and knowledge to achieve breakthroughs in clean technology,” emphasized Sinkevičius, after pointing to EU initiatives such as the Green Deal, Green Claims and the digital product passport.
Speakers from the individual LVMH houses such as Pietro Beccari (Louis Vuitton), Damien Bertrand (Loro Piana), Stéphane Bianchi (LVMH Watches & Jewelry), Véronique Courtois (Parfums Christian Dior), Séverine Merle (Celine), Guillaume Motte (Sephora) , Gabrielle Saint-Genis (Guerlain) and Philippe Schaus (Moët Hennessy) shared best practices to advance the effort. They were supported by creatives such as Stella McCartney, Kim Jones from Dior and Fendi, Francis Kurkdjian from Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris and Parfums Christian Dior and Frédéric Panaïotis from Ruinart.
The afternoon of the summit was dedicated to makers, with workshops on mapping biodiversity and collective intelligence. The finale was a fashion show of completely upcycled creations that artistic director Kevin Germanier created from unsold stocks from leading fashion houses and fabric remnants from Nona Source and Weturn.
The LIFE 360 plan is based on the four pillars of circular economy, biodiversity, climate and traceability and transparency. The group has set goals in these areas that are to be achieved by 2023, 2026 and 2030.
Circular economy
The group sees the goals it has set in the area of circular economy up to 2023 as having been met, as it has increased its repair and care offerings. For example, Louis Vuitton repairs 600,000 products per year, 79 percent of Berluti’s leather products are repairable, Rimowa offers a lifetime guarantee on luggage and bags, and Le Bon Marché offers alterations and repairs for watches and shoes.
The company also referred to reuse and recycling services that it offers together with the partner companies Nona Source, Cedre, Weturn and Agence Don en Nature, which reuse leather and fabric scraps, unused raw materials and unsold products.
biodiversity
In this area, the goal is to have five million hectares of land regenerated by 2023 – by the end of 2022, 1.37 million hectares have been regenerated. In support of the goal, LVMH launched regenerative agriculture projects in Turkey (for cotton), Australia (for merino wool), South Africa (for mohair), Indonesia (for palm oil) and France (for vineyards).
The group also referred to partnerships with the Brazilian NGO Fas, which works to combat deforestation, as well as with UNESCO’s “Man and the Biosphere” program, Reforest Action and the Circular Biodiversity Alliance. He also wants to reduce his water consumption across the group by 30 percent by 2030.
climate
By reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 11 percent and indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 3) by 15 percent from 2019 to 2022, the group was able to decouple its growth from CO2 emissions over the same period. According to LVMH, this was achieved through eco-design of products, a comprehensive energy saving plan and its own transport program. In addition, the goal of reducing energy consumption by 10 percent from October 2022 to October 2023 was exceeded.
To reduce Scope 3 emissions, the group is planning a “special initiative” for its suppliers and partners, particularly to curb indirect emissions caused by raw materials and transport.
“Scope 3 emissions account for more than 90 percent of our environmental footprint and arise primarily from the impact of raw materials and transport. This includes emissions from upstream and downstream in our value chain and not from assets we own or control. For this reason, these emissions are the most difficult to reduce. To achieve our ambitious Scope 3 targets, both in terms of carbon emissions and impacts on water and biodiversity, mobilizing suppliers is essential. LVMH is committed to supporting them with the LIFE 360 Business Partners program,” promised Hélène Valade, Head of Environmental Development at LVMH.
Traceability and transparency
According to LVMH, the goal in this area of knowing the countries of origin of all “strategic” raw materials by 2023 is on the right track. The origin of diamonds, wool and leather is known for 95 to 100 percent of the products, and a new traceability tool is being used in the perfume and cosmetics and wine and spirits categories.
“We strongly believe that environmental friendliness is a source of innovation, creativity and excellence and therefore must be taken into account in all design and manufacturing processes. For more than 30 years, LVMH has continuously anticipated changes and adapted its production processes, work habits and behaviors to find better solutions to the many environmental challenges we face. We are more determined than ever to take action because achieving our 2023 goals is just the beginning. Achieving our goals for 2026 and 2030 will require further hard work,” commented Antoine Arnault.
Starting next year, LVMH will also host “Sustainability Business Partners Days” — a forum through which delivery companies can express their needs and expectations regarding environmental ambitions.
The group also wants to share its knowledge and environmental training programs, regulatory monitoring and promote the exchange of solutions and expertise through a dedicated platform planned for the second half of 2024.