Aware that its customers demand long-lasting products made from natural materials, Louis Vuitton has been repairing thousands of products a year for decades. In the last few years, Louis Vuitton has launched products that five years ago would have been unthinkable, such as its Charlie sneakers, a unisex model made from organic and recycled materials, to Felt bags, made from deadstock fabrics from other products. In addition, he brand's jewelry has been certified by the Responsible Jewelry Council since 2012, and all of its diamonds have been acquired in compliance with the Kimberley Process.
According to the brand’s CEO and President Michael Burke, the pandemic hasn’t taught Louis Vuitton to produce in a greener way but it has taught it to work differently. " It’s made the business more local and decentralized. For him, excellent design, sustainability and good business go hand in hand.
As part of the LVMH Group, Louis Vuitton has set targets to accelerate environmental progress throughout the value chain. The plan focuses on pioneering initiatives in biodiversity and provides tangible elements of its environmental performance, as well as ambitions in eco-design, circular economy, and product energy consumption.
By 2025, the group and all its Maisons will ensure full traceability of its materials from the country of origin or even from the farms themselves. In addition to compliance with the most advanced animal welfare standards, for 100% of its raw materials, LVHM demands a reduction in the environmental impact of processing all animal-derived materials while improving the livelihood of local populations.
However, while Louis Vuitton has set an intensity target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations, there is no evidence that the company is on track to meet this target. There is no evidence that the company minimizes textile waste and it uses a few environmentally friendly materials.
The company adheres to its own list of banned substances and has removed some hazardous chemicals from its supply chain, but the brand has not set a time-bound goal to eliminate all hazardous chemicals. Like numerous other luxury fashion houses, Louis Vuitton regularly burns unsold inventory, further contributing to the harmful fashion industry that always values exclusivity over sustainability.
Sustainability Perceptions Index Ranking by Brand Finance
Louis Vuitton is one of the brands that are leading the way as the most sustainable fashion brands according to consumer perceptions in the Brand Finance Sustainability Perceptions Index ranking, along with Nike and Chanel.
The organization has carried out this report by questioning more than 100,000 consumers in 36 countries about their behavior and perception of 4,000 brands from all sectors. The questions included how they perceive brands in terms of trustworthiness, governance, or respect for the environment.
The Oregon giant is ranked 56th in the table, with a score of 4.68 out of ten by consumers on sustainability issues in the fashion sector. Louis Vuitton ranks 69th in the rankings, with a score of 4.66, followed by Chanel in 96th place with a score of 4.6.
Gucci, L'Oréal, adidas, Cartier, Rolex, Nivea, Decathlon, Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, Lacôme, El Corte Inglés, Sephora, Maybelline, Prada, Burberry, Puma, JD Sports, and Yves Saint Laurent are other companies in the sector that appear in the ranking.
What the Report Reveals About Consumers’ Perceptions
The sectors that consumers perceive as most sustainable are luxury cars, 22.9% of respondents, followed by beverages and supermarkets, with 13.7% and 12.6%. Cosmetics is in fourth place as the sector best perceived on sustainable issues by consumers, while the fashion industry is in eleventh position.
Amazon is the brand perceived as the most sustainable on a global scale, topping the ranking, followed by Tesla, Apple, and Google. According to Robert Haigh, Director of Strategy and Sustainability at Brand Finance, companies are starting to value financial value linked to their sustainability reputation," says Robert Haigh, director of strategy and sustainability at Brand Finance.
Despite accusations of greenwashing in recent months, according to the Brand Finance study, consumers are generally fairly trusting of brands' sustainability communication, with 62% believing sustainability claims made by brands. However, 79% of consumers also said they had reduced their consumption of a brand when they discovered that it was acting in an unsustainable way.
Other major fashion companies have started to appear in the ranking, such as Zara and El Corte Inglés. Inditex's flagship chain is ranked 227th in the table, with a score of 4.02, while the department store group comes in at 262nd.