Key Impact Points:
- Kering targets a net water-positive impact by 2050, with key measurements by 2035.
- Strategy focuses on 10 critical water basins linked to company operations.
- Launch of Water Resilience Labs to foster collaboration across sectors.
Kering Sets Bold Water Goals
Luxury group Kering — home to Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, and others — has launched its new Water Positive Strategy, aiming to reduce water-related risks across its value chain and achieve a net positive water impact by 2050. The company also plans to measure net positive outcomes in key hotspots by 2035.
In 2024, Kering became one of the first companies to set validated science-based targets for nature under the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN), including a freshwater quantity goal for direct operations and upstream suppliers.
Focus on Priority Water Basins
Kering’s new strategy zeroes in on 10 priority water basins critical to its operations. Efforts will center on working with local stakeholders to improve water quality, quantity, and accessibility.
Key initiatives include:
- Sourcing materials like recycled fabrics to ease pressure on water sources.
- Reducing pollution and replenishing water used in operations.
- Collaborating with suppliers on shared water challenges.
- Adopting technologies like chrome-free and low-impact tanning agents to boost water efficiency.
Launching Water Resilience Labs
To deepen impact, Kering will establish Water Resilience Labs in ten water-stressed regions where it operates. The first lab will open later this year in the Arno basin in Tuscany, home to many of Kering’s tanneries and supplier tanneries.
Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer at Kering, emphasized:
“The need for responsible corporate water stewardship to stay within the planetary boundaries has never been more urgent. It is crucial that water commitments evolve from a reductions-only approach to become water-positive, regenerating and replenishing water and ecosystems associated with all business activities.”
She added:
“Accordingly, Kering’s Water-Positive Strategy has been designed to be transformative, and we will collaborate with local stakeholders to deliver measurable water-positive outcomes to enhance social, environmental and economic resilience, and ultimately contribute to building up the availability of clean water for all.”
Related Article: World Bank Report Highlights Global Water Crisis: Over 2 Billion Lack Safe Drinking Water
