LVMH prioritizes water conservation in forthcoming “energy sobriety” focus
11 Jul 2023 --- LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) has committed to an intensive global water conservation plan as part of its existing energy sobriety initiative, Life 360, that aims to make a 30% reduction of the company’s overall water consumption footprint by 2030.
Core components of the group’s activities that include a significant proportion of its water use includes wines, spirits, perfumes and cosmetics and raw materials for its fashion and leather goods.
The company describes water as a “strategic resource that contributes directly to the high quality of the products” it develops and is, therefore, its responsibility to preserve it.
Restrictions of use
In line with the Life 360 program, unveiled in 2022, managing water consumption is an integral part of LVMH’s environmental policy, which annually measures the water consumption footprint of its activities.
LVMH brand Hennessy, which has been working for many years to reduce water consumption in its manufacturing processes, reduced its use by 26% between 2019 and 2022.
Loro Piana reduced its water consumption by 25% over the same period, mainly by deploying wastewater recycling equipment in its main factory.
Between 2019 and 2022, the LVMH group reduced its water use by 26%.
To achieve the objective, LVMH will improve water measurements throughout its value chain, using pressure indicators and geolocation to deploy specific action plans in areas suffering from water stress. It will reuse treated wastewater and recover rainwater from production sites by supporting partner breeders, growers and winegrowers.
LVMH will introduce water recycling systems in its distilleries and Loro Piana’s workshops and capture and retain water in its regenerative agriculture program.
Qualitative targets underway
The group is on track to unveil a qualitative target for reducing its water consumption footprint by the end of 2023. The target will improve the quality of discharges into the natural environment and is endorsed by its partner, the SBTN organization (Science Based Targets for Nature, the equivalent of SBTi for the Climate).
In previous efforts, LVMH linked up with Hang Lung Properties – its first partnership as part of its policy to reduce energy consumption.
In February, Dow and LVMH Beauty collaborated to accelerate environmentally sustainable packaging across LVMH’s perfume and cosmetic products. The companies will integrate bio-based and circular plastics into several multinational product applications.
Meanwhile, LVMH Beauty signed a multi-year capacity reservation agreement with material provider Origin Materials to purchase carbon-negative PET for fragrance and cosmetics packaging.
Edited by Inga de Jong
