Gucci reduces environmental impact by 21 percent in 2019

Italian fashion house Gucci has published its environmental profit and loss results for 2019 and reports a 21 percent reduction of total footprint year-over-year.

The report, part of Gucci’s 10-year Culture of Purpose strategy (2015-2025) to commit to generating positive change for people and planet, reveals that the luxury brand is ahead of schedule and “already close” to achieving its 2025 targets.

Marco Bizzarri, president and chief executive of Gucci, said in a statement: “Gucci is driven by the issues that are fundamentally influencing and creating our collective future. It is paramount that we build this future to be more equitable, where injustice and discrimination in all their forms are not allowed to prevail.

“In light of current events, our unwavering commitment to combat racism and fight for equality is now even stronger.”

The news comes as Gucci launches new digital platforms to unify the voice of its community, with a refresh of its Equilibrium website, created two years ago to underline the fashion brand’s commitment to social impact and the environment, and a new dedicated Instagram profile to highlight its actions to reduce its environmental footprint and protect nature, while supporting people’s rights and championing inclusivity.

“As a company, we will continue to focus on generating positive change for people and for nature across our business,” added Bizzarri. “We also have a responsibility, as a global brand, to be active partners within the community to incite change and Gucci Equilibrium has the capacity to convene and unite a community of voices to help navigate the way forward.”

The project is part of its 10-year action plan to reduce its total environmental impact by 40 percent within its direct operations and across the entire supply chain. It has also pledged to reduce by 50 percent its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.

According to the report, Gucci is ahead of schedule as its 2019 results reveal a 39 percent reduction for the house’s combined impacts and a 37 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions alone.

Gucci “ahead of schedule” to reduce its total environmental impact by 2025

Comparing these results to its 2018 environmental profit and loss report, Gucci reduced its overall footprint by 21 percent and decreased its greenhouse gas emissions by 18 percent year-over-year, relative to growth (from a 2015 baseline).

These “excellent” results it states are due to its efforts to improve high impact areas throughout its supply chain, such as increasing the use of recycled raw materials and organic fibres in its collections, and incorporating responsibly sourced precious metals in hardware and jewellery, like 100 percent ethical gold for jewellery, as well as extend its sustainable processes and manufacturing efficiencies, such as Gucci Scrap-less for leather and Gucci-Up for circularity.

In addition, Gucci also adds that by switching to green energy it has reached 83 percent renewable energy for its stores, offices, warehouses and factories with a 100 percent target by the end of 2020.

The new-look Gucci Equilibrium aims to inspire and unify a community of voices to conversations around topics that the luxury house calls “increasingly critical in today’s world”. The new digital destinations will share messages from a diverse group of leaders, organisations and talents promoting climate action and a “fair, just and equitable world for all” as it looks to implement transformative change.

These initiatives also span beyond Gucci’s own business to impact systemic change more broadly and will also create opportunities for diverse talents who are underrepresented in the fashion industry under the Gucci Changemakers’ community fund and scholarship programme, as well as calling for climate leadership across sectors through the CEO Carbon Neutral Challenge.

The website also launches with a new logo to represent the interconnection between people and planet, the two pillars of Gucci Equilibrium, designed by artist MP5.

In addition, Gucci also added that it is strengthening its Equilibrium message beyond the newly dedicated platforms to its main e-commerce website, app and retail activations with a new set of icons allowing consumers to discover the sustainability features for around 400 products.

Image: courtesy of Gucci