Gucci is entirely carbon-neutral – here’s how the luxury brand has committed to sustainability
Steps the fashion house is taking include boosting the use of renewable energy, upcycling and recycling, and sourcing raw materials from countries with a lower environmental impact
The increasing demand for consumer goods has outweighed sustainability and ethical standards in recent years. But some in the fashion industry, including the 150 brands that joined French President Emmanuel Macron’s “Fashion Pact”, recognise the need for sustainable practices. Such brands include Gucci, which has announced it is officially carbon-neutral.
“A new era of corporate accountability is upon us and we need to be diligent in taking all steps to mitigate our impact,” says Gucci’s president and CEO, Marco Bizzarri.
Bizzarri adds, “[Our carbon-neutral commitment] is based on a clear strategy to ensure we account for all our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our supply chain, act to first avoid, reduce and restore, and then offset the unavoidable emissions through important REDD+ projects.” REDD+ is a UN scheme to reduce emissions from deforestation.
Steps include boosting the use of renewable energy, upcycling and recycling, sourcing raw materials from countries with a lower environmental impact, and supporting the conservation and restoration of biodiversity.
The REDD+ projects offset Gucci’s carbon emissions through forest conservation initiatives involving around 1.1 million hectares of forest in Kenya, Peru, Indonesia and Cambodia.
Gucci was one of the first luxury brands to adopt the Environmental Profit & Loss (EP&L) account, which monitors all GHG emissions in its business. Apart from the “Fashion Pact”, Gucci has set up its own 10-year sustainability strategy, aiming to halve GHG emissions by 2025.
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