LVMH pledges to cut water consumption by 30% by 2030

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Jul 11, 2023

On Monday July 10, Gucci made the news by announcing that it had been granted a gender parity certification by Bureau Veritas, and now it is the turn of Kering’s competitor LVMH to steal the limelight, announcing an ambitious plan to reduce its environmental impact. The French luxury giant has set out a “water conservation plan on a global scale” that is designed to reduce its water consumption worldwide by 30% by 2030.

According to UN and Ellen MacArthur Foundation data, the global textile industry uses 93 billion cubic metres of water each year. LVMH did not indicate how much water it currently consumes, but it underlined water is a “strategic resource” and an “essential component of the group's activities.” Water is used to produce wine and spirits, and is also essential for manufacturing perfumes and cosmetics, as well as a key resource to produce certain raw materials used in ready-to-wear and leather goods.
 
LVMH’s stated goal has already been achieved by some of its brands, like Hennessy and Loro Piana. The latter has cut its water consumption by 25% since 2019, notably by deploying waste water recycling equipment at its main factory. LVMH is planning to extend the pledge to all its 75 houses, and to also encourage their suppliers to follow suit, for example by favouring regenerative agriculture practices.

To reach the objectives the group has set itself, LVMH wants first of all to improve how it measures its water consumption footprint across the entire value chain. It also intends to make use of “the most efficient technologies for reusing treated waste water and recovering rainwater at the group’s production sites,” to introduce “manufacturing processes that consume less water,” and to continue to pursue the regenerative agriculture programme the group embarked on in 2021, as well as “keep raising customer awareness through its products’ environmental labelling.”
 
The new water preservation pledge is part of LVMH’s Life 360 environmental programme, which is focused on circularity, traceability, biodiversity and respect for the earth’s climate.