Kering sustainability chief: how we are tackling the COP27 ‘trilemma’

This month, the lives of billions of people, species and future generations should be, at least strategically, determined at COP27 – a global climate change conference held on 6-18 November in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Since COP26, which was held in Glasgow, Scotland, on 31 October-13 November last year, we have just about managed to keep the hope of limiting global temperatures to 1.5°C by 2100 alive, but it is a hope that is dangerously fading, as we are still on a 2.5°C trajectory by 2100 [based on 2022 research titled Climate Endgame: Exploring Catastrophic Climate Change Scenarios from the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Exeter, Potsdam, Wageningen, Washington State, Nanjing and the Australian National University].

Climate change is not in 2030 or beyond – it is here and now – and it’s impacting us all, especially those least prepared. Developing countries are facing a deficit in investments of $140-$300bn (£122bn-£260bn) annually [the Adaptation Growth Report 2021 from United Nations Environment Programme] to cope and adapt, while we are fewer than 2,000 working days away from 2030. COP27 must accelerate turning the tide on climate change before we get to the point of no return.

The fashion industry specifically is facing a “trilemma” of spiralling resource use, over-consumption and excessive waste. Around 215 trillion litres of water are consumed by the industry every year [United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion data shows], and unsustainable agricultural practices have contributed to 40% land degradation [UN Convention to Combat Climate Change Global Land Outlook Report, 2022] and the potential for 90% of the Earth’s soil to be lost by 2050 [UN Food and Agriculture Organisation article titled Saving Our Soils by All Earthly Ways Possible, 2022].

People are buying significantly more clothes than they did 20 years ago [The UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion article published in March 2019 entitled UN Alliance For Sustainable Fashion addresses damage of ‘fast fashion’]. Fashion makes up around 10% of global carbon emissions [2019 World Bank article entitled How Much Do Our Wardrobes Cost to the Environment? using data provided by United Nations Environment Programme]. We acknowledge that, as an industry, we currently contribute to the climate problem. However, we are also striving for a future where we are part of the solution.

We can no longer live in a world of commitments – we need action now. As trendsetters and tastemakers, we recognise our influence on society, culture and our peers, and Kering continues to spur cross-industry collaboration on climate change.

In January 2021, we launched the Regenerative Fund for Nature in partnership with Conservation International, established to protect six times the total land footprint of our entire supply chain. Our goal is to transform 1 million hectares of crop and rangeland into regenerative agricultural spaces within five years [by providing grants to farming groups, project leaders, non-governmental organisations to test and implement regenerative practices that ensure the long-term viability of the land].

We also created an open-source Environmental Profit and Loss (EP&L) accounting platform in May 2015 to identify environment-intensive value chain hotspots, and convened a third of the fashion industry to tackle climate, biodiversity and ocean impact through The Fashion Pact [a global coalition launched in August 2019 of 74 companies in the fashion and textile industry including their suppliers and distributors committed to stopping global warming and restoring biodiversity]. We encourage everyone in the fashion industry to join this worldwide initiative in fighting climate change. We can only succeed at it if we work together, especially by focusing on our designs and supply chains.

COP27 should be the moment we move beyond incrementalism towards collective, bold action on global priorities. There is no option to fail. Ahead of the event, we make a plea to government leaders and policymakers: large-scale sustainability goals cannot be achieved by the private sector initiatives alone. Regulation has a direct and profound impact on our sustainability agenda, and we want to see fair and transparent policies focused on sustainability around the world.

We also make a plea to our peers in the luxury and fashion industry. Together, let’s raise the threshold for ambition and take the lead on systems transformation. Let’s advocate for and shape consistent, scalable environmental standards. Let’s collaborate, non-competitively, to accelerate our climate-friendly transition and unlock a more sustainable future for our industry.