Levi's announces a new global water action strategy

Levi Strauss & Co. is shifting its approach to saving water. The company has launched a new water action strategy that will evolve water use in its global supply chain.

Rather than following a singular, "one-size-fits-all" approach, Levi's new strategy towards water management will be a responsive and contextual. With this type of strategy, the company hopes to focus its reduction efforts where they are most needed and increase access to clean drinking water for communities in its sourcing locations.

Highlights of Levi's plan include: working with key suppliers to set and achieve specific water use targets for factories, collaborating with suppliers and other brands at the local level to develop programs that improve the long-term health of watersheds in key sourcing locations and reducing the amount of water required for cotton cultivation by partnering with the Better Cotton Initiative.

The company has set a goal to reduce its cumulative water use for manufacturing by 50 percent in water-stressed areas by 2025.

“We all know that water is perhaps the most critical resource on the planet and that many places, including countries the apparel industry sources from, are struggling with water crises,” Liz O’Neill, EVP and president of global product, innovation and supply chain, said in a statement.

“This announcement is an illustration of what sustainability means to us now: innovative, responsive, scalable programs that drive impact and inspire collective action to address the most pressing social and environmental issues facing our business, industry, and planet.”

Photo credit: Levi Strauss & Co., Facebook