Our thinking

Shifting towards a ‘nature-positive’ economy

17 July, 2020

Ecosystems around the world are collapsing, with a million species threatened with extinction. But this week there was some positive news that indicated even during a crisis, some companies are still taking transformative action that will in time, we hope, make a difference in protecting our planet.

This week Kering, the luxury fashion conglomerate, announced its new sustainability strategy which hopes to bend the curve on biodiversity loss and chart a course for the entire fashion industry.

The company has committed to going beyond its own supply chain to focus on programmes that will have a net positive impact on biodiversity by 2025. Their ambitious strategy draws upon the framework offered by the Science Based Targets Network. The initial focus is on avoiding sourcing from areas where biodiversity is most threatened, and reducing impact through scaling up investment in circular processes and investing in innovations that will deliver low impact alternative materials, and investing in the regeneration of land owned by farmers in its supply chain. Where it gets interesting is in Kering’s commitment to going beyond its own footprint and protecting one million hectares of critical “irreplaceable” habitat as well as inspiring change across the entire industry. In total, Kering seeks to protect an area that is six times its own total land footprint.

We hope other companies will be inspired by Kering to create their own regenerative interventions to ensure a future where business operates safely within our planetary boundaries.

By Gemma Coate