Kering, the global luxury group, has launched an ambitious Water-Positive Strategy, committing to a net water-positive impact by 2050. The strategy aims to deliver tangible water improvements in 10 high-risk basins by 2035, marking a significant shift in corporate water stewardship.
“The need for responsible corporate water stewardship to stay within the planetary boundaries has never been more urgent,” said Marie-Claire Daveu, Kering’s Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer. “We must evolve our water commitments from simply reducing consumption to becoming water-positive, regenerating and replenishing water and ecosystems connected to our activities.”
This move integrates water management into Kering’s broader environmental goals, which also include tackling climate change and biodiversity loss. The company is aligning its water efforts with its climate, nature, and biodiversity initiatives, recognizing the interconnectedness of these global challenges.
Kering’s Water-Positive Strategy focuses on three key pillars:
- Water-Positive Raw Materials: Prioritizing low-impact, recycled, and regenerative materials that not only reduce pollution but also restore freshwater sources.
- Water-Positive Stewardship Program: Promoting best practices across Kering’s supply chain, including adopting sustainable tanning techniques and water-saving technologies.
- Water Resilience Labs: Establishing innovation hubs in the 10 priority basins, with the first lab set to launch in Tuscany’s Arno Basin in 2025. These labs will serve as centers for collaborative action with local communities, governments, and industry partners to improve water quality and availability.
By focusing on the ten priority basins, Kering aims to enhance freshwater ecosystems and foster resilience in regions where its supply chain has a significant impact. These basins were selected using data from science-based targets for freshwater, ensuring a measurable and impactful approach.
Through this strategy, Kering is setting a new standard in the luxury fashion industry, demonstrating that sustainable, water-positive practices can be both transformative and integral to business success.
