Kering Unveils Ambitious 2030 Sustainability Roadmap Focused on Circularity and Bio-Materials Innovation
Paris, France – Kering, the global luxury group home to prestigious brands such as Gucci and Saint Laurent, today announced a significant step forward in its environmental commitment, unveiling an updated and ambitious sustainability roadmap. The strategy, outlining key targets extending through 2030 and beyond, places a strong emphasis on pioneering circularity and fostering material innovation, particularly in the realm of bio-materials.
The comprehensive plan underscores Kering’s dedication to embedding deeper environmental responsibility throughout its extensive portfolio and value chain. It signals a strategic pivot towards integrating cutting-edge sustainable practices into the very core of its business model, with a clear impact anticipated on future collections across its diverse array of brands.
A cornerstone of this newly articulated strategy is a set of concrete, time-bound environmental objectives. Foremost among these is a challenging goal to source 100% recycled or sustainably certified materials for its products by the year 2030. This target necessitates a fundamental transformation in how the group procures raw materials, requiring close collaboration with suppliers and investment in innovative material science.
Alongside material sourcing, Kering is also setting aggressive climate targets. The roadmap includes a commitment to achieve a significant 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, using 2020 levels as the baseline. This target addresses emissions across scopes, aiming to mitigate the group’s carbon footprint significantly in alignment with global efforts to combat climate change.
The announcement, made from Paris, highlighted the strategic importance of innovation in achieving these ambitious goals. Kering recognizes that meeting its targets will require not only optimization of existing processes but also the development and scaling of entirely new technologies and materials.
To catalyze this essential innovation, François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, concurrently announced the establishment of a dedicated investment fund. This fund, capitalized with €50 million, will be deployed over the next three years. Its specific focus is on supporting startups and emerging companies that are at the forefront of advancing circular textile technologies and developing next-generation bio-materials.
Mr. Pinault emphasized that the luxury sector has a unique role to play in driving sustainable innovation. By investing in these nascent technologies, Kering aims to accelerate the availability and viability of materials and processes that can support a truly circular economy within the fashion industry. The fund is intended to act as a strategic enabler, bridging the gap between groundbreaking research and scalable application within the luxury context.
Existing collaborations provide a precedent and direction for this new investment initiative. Kering has previously engaged with innovative firms like Bolt Threads, known for its Mylo™ mushroom leather. Such partnerships exemplify the type of forward-thinking material science and circular approaches that the new €50 million fund is designed to cultivate and support.
The focus on circularity extends beyond materials to encompass product design, lifespan, and end-of-life solutions. Kering’s strategy aims to design products with longevity in mind, explore rental and resale models, and develop infrastructure for recycling and regeneration, minimizing waste and keeping materials in use for as long as possible.
The emphasis on bio-materials reflects a broader industry trend towards reducing reliance on fossil-fuel-based synthetics and animal-derived materials by exploring innovative, bio-based alternatives that offer similar or superior performance and aesthetics with a reduced environmental footprint.
By setting these ambitious targets and backing them with significant financial investment, Kering positions itself at the vanguard of the luxury sector’s sustainability transition. The roadmap represents not just a compliance exercise, but a strategic imperative to innovate and lead in an era defined by increasing environmental awareness and resource constraints. The commitment to embedding these principles across all brands, from design to sourcing and distribution, underscores a holistic approach to integrating environmental responsibility into the very identity and operations of the Kering group.
