Article by Kering | 02.19.2021
Kering Biodiversity Strategy – Stage 4: Transform
Kering’s Biodiversity strategy focuses on three goals: stemming biodiversity loss; restoring ecosystems and species; and sparking systemic change that goes above and beyond Kering’s supply chains.
To achieve these goals, they have structured their strategy into four stages:
In order to have a net positive impact on biodiversity by 2025, it is essential to go above and beyond. We must collectively revolutionize the fashion & apparel industry through actions outside of our direct supply chains. Kering is made up of teams of creative experts, and their vision and skills are the driving force behind the beautiful products. For this reason, the “transform” pillar is especially relevant, as it represents a way to channel the most innovative ideas into action.
Kering’s commitments
• By 2025, Kering will protect one million hectares of critical, ‘irreplaceable’ habitat outside of its supply chain, through UN REDD+ and other programs that offer co-benefits of biodiversity protection, carbon sequestration and livelihood improvements. This represents an area three times Kering’s total land footprint.
• Continue playing a pivotal role spearheading the Fashion Pact, which brings together more than 250 fashion brands and suppliers (who represent around 35% of the industry), to work together on the topics of climate, biodiversity and ocean health.
• Continue providing key support to organisations at the forefront of biodiversity protection.
• Lead the fashion industry in reimagining fashion show calendars and requirements, as they exert a high environmental toll.
• Inspire the Group’s 38,000+ employees to incorporate biodiversity into their daily lives, through diverse activities at the House- and site-level, such as bee-keeping clubs and citizen science projects. In addition, the Group will continue to develop online biodiversity and sustainability trainings and games to engage its teams and help them translate biodiversity considerations into their daily lives.
• Work to strengthen the biodiversity element of existing certification schemes and standards.
• Continue engaging scientific, academic and industry partners to produce publicly available tools, reports and insights which can drive high-level change.
• Continue to promote natural capital accounting by strengthening our internal measurement via our EP&L, as well as creating open-sourced, operationalized tools to support the industry.
Spotlight on ongoing work: Supporting groups working at the forefront of biodiversity conservation
Over the years, Kering and its Houses have supported a diverse array of international organizations working at the forefront of biodiversity conservation and science. This includes its partnership with IPBES, following the release of their pivotal report which called the world’s attention to the scale of global biodiversity loss. The Group also provides support to the Paris’ Museum of Natural History, and as recently announced on World Environment Day, Kering is thrilled to support The Explorers Program, a global media platform building a rich catalog of Earth’s natural assets. In 2020, Kering and its Houses responded to a number of crises, for instance providing key support to teams battling bushfires in Australia. Finally, its Houses also support varied biodiversity programs directly, such as Gucci’s partnership with the Lion’s Share Fund, which seeks to raise over 100 million USD every year over the next five years to protect endangered species and their natural habitats.
Learn more:
Explore the full Kering Biodiversity Strategy.