Chanel relies on Sophie Brocart to lead its circular transition

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Chanel store in New York. Credits: Chanel.

Chanel is taking a major step towards a more sustainable future by appointing renowned luxury executive Sophie Brocart to lead its new circularity initiative.

Currently CEO of Patou, Brocart has extensive experience in relaunching luxury brands and a strong commitment to sustainable practices. Her appointment, exclusively reported on by WWD, is a testament to Chanel’s commitment to transforming the fashion industry and reducing its environmental impact.

At Chanel, Brocart will be responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of innovative strategies to promote circularity, from the choice of materials to the end-of-life management of products. Her expertise will be a major asset in supporting Chanel in its transition to a more sustainable business model.

This initiative is part of Chanel’s sustainability goals, which include reducing carbon emissions, promoting ethical sourcing and extending the lifecycle of its products. By adopting circularity principles, Chanel seeks to reduce waste, conserve resources and build a more resilient fashion industry. Among the sustainability initiatives implemented by Chanel, are:

Valuation of dormant stocks

Through the Atelier des Matières, Chanel is implementing a circularity model aimed at recycling unused materials as well as unsold or unused products from the fashion and luxury sectors.

The Circul'R coalition in cosmetics

Chanel has joined a collective initiative that brings together nine major beauty brands (including L'Oréal, Chanel Parfums Beauté, Pierre Fabre, and Clarins) as well as two distributors (Nocibé and Séphora) to develop solutions for reusing packaging. A pilot project for deposits on skincare products will be launched in stores by the end of 2024, meeting the objectives of reducing single-use packaging in compliance with the AGEC law.

A partnership for sustainable leadership with the University of Cambridge

Chanel has established a collaboration with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) and the Cambridge Judge Business School (CJBS). This initiative aims to train Chanel's management and operational teams on more sustainable practices, particularly in terms of biodiversity and carbon reduction. Since 2021, nearly 500 Chanel employees, including management and operational teams, have received training in biodiversity and carbon reduction, to guide their daily and strategic decisions.

The partnership also enables concrete applications in Chanel’s value chain. Some teams have collaborated with IfM’s technical experts in intensive programmes focused on prototyping sustainable solutions. This partnership has been renewed for three additional years, highlighting Chanel’s commitment to sustainable practices.

Commitment to net-zero emissions by 2040

In its 2024 report entitled “Net Zero Emissions 2040”, Chanel presented its strategic roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire value chain by 2040. This objective aligns with the criteria of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and marks the House's ambition to significantly reduce its carbon footprint over the next 16 years, by integrating concrete measures into all its operations.

These initiatives demonstrate Chanel's desire to invest in more sustainable fashion and a resilient economic model, in line with current environmental challenges - initiatives that will certainly be driven under the leadership of Sophie Brocart.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.FR. It was translated to English using an AI tool called Genesis and edited by Rachel Douglass..

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