This past July, we announced a new climate action strategy, committing to reduce our carbon emissions by 90 percent in our owned-and-operated facilities, by 40 percent across our global supply chain, and drawing 100 percent of energy in our owned-and-operated facilities from renewable sources – all by 2025.
By setting aggressive targets, LS&Co. is helping to set new standards for the apparel industry and acting in accord with the goals of the Paris Climate Treaty – to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius.
We see these science-based targets as the right way to proceed with our business, but we also know that thoughtful partnerships and well-planned coalitions can have a far greater impact than any single company.
That’s why we partner with organizations like Ceres, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and the International Finance Corporation to push for stronger, more effective climate policies and practices. And today we signed on to the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, which was launched at the critical UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland.
The charter, which is based on the Paris Climate Agreement and UN Climate Change guidelines, brings together leading fashion brands, retailers, supplier organizations, and others to address fashion’s climate impact across its entire value chain. Among the 40 signatory companies are Adidas, Burberry, Guess, Gap Inc., H&M Group, Inditex, Target and Maersk. Leading membership organizations such as the Business for Social Responsibility, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and the China National Textile and Apparel Council have also signed on, as has WWF International.
“We are proud to join the charter, which brings together leading apparel and footwear brands, supply chain actors, and civil society to reduce the estimated 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions produced by our sector,” says Michael Kobori, LS&Co.’s Vice President of Sustainability. “We see this charter as a natural extension of our climate commitment and invite others to join us in addressing this defining issue of our time.”
The charter recognizes the role fashion plays on both sides of the climate equation – as a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and as a sector with opportunities to reduce emissions while contributing to sustainable development. It highlights issues signatories will need to tackle as well as those many, LS&Co. included, have already begun to address through operational innovation – from decarbonization in production and increased use of climate-friendly materials to low-carbon transport and new models of financing to catalyze and incentivize scalable solutions.
“The fashion industry is always two steps ahead when it comes to defining world culture, so I am pleased to see it now also leading the way in terms of climate action,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa. “I congratulate the signatories of this important charter, which represents a unique commitment and collaboration from an array of fashion leaders. The charter, like the renowned fashion runways of the world, sets an example that I hope others will follow.”
