French President Emmanuel Macron is tapping Kering SA, the French owner of luxury fashion houses such as Gucci and Saint Laurent, to lead a global fashion-industry sustainability drive, seeking to reduce the heavy environmental footprint of one of the country’s most lucrative businesses. The President has called upon the luxury giant’s chief executive François-Henri Pinault to bring together a group of brands to commit to progress on issues including ocean health, biodiversity, and climate change during this summer’s Group of Seven summit in Biarritz.
Specific targets could include eliminating disposable plastics within three years or converting to renewable energy sources by 2030. As governments and consumers have become increasingly concerned with the fashion industry’s harmful impact on the environment, some brands have started banning the use of controversial materials like fur or deployed new materials like mushroom leather for handbags. Macron’s government also floated a plan to outlaw the widespread practice of destroying unsold clothes and luxury goods. While mass-market apparel brands often mark down goods until their shelves are cleared, luxury labels have long preferred to burn some unsold items or bury them in landfills rather than risk damage to their image that might come from having them spotted in discount bins. It’s beyond time this despicable practice is put to bed.
