As House of Gucci CEO, Marco Bizzarri, outlines plans to capture the potential of their supply chain to fight climate change, we ask whether it is possible things are starting to change for the better in the most unlikeliest of places?
Fashion, one of the world’s least sustainable industries is changing into something that has developed some kind of conscience. The fact that statement alone is more shocking than even the most ludicrous catwalk garb is testament to fashion’s reputation for what everyone assumes is its inherent unsustainability. Fashion is the poster boy for conspicuous consumption, the epitome of excess, but just take a look at these well-chosen words:
“Beyond being a moral duty, it is arguably a business imperative to seriously pull back on what is typically described as a ‘take, make, use, waste’ system in fashion.”
These are not the words of a protester, a Greenpeace spokesperson or an Oscar acceptance speech from a half-cut celeb propped at the podium in Louis Vuitton. These are the words and opinions of Marco Bizzarri, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Gucci who, as far as we can tell, has not been spotted hugging a tree or gluing himself to a bridge in combat fatigues and a Day-Glo chemise.
Fashioning a Climate Solution
In an article on the World Economic Forum’s website, Bizzarri makes out a case for biodiversity as a boon to supply chain resilience, noting that: “There is a groundswell of recognition that biodiversity loss and climate change are interconnected, and, that our future lives – and livelihoods – are intrinsically linked to the protection and restoration of nature.”
These aren’t hollow words. Gucci launched what it calls a Natural Climate Solutions Portfolio in 2021 which outlines initiatives to protect forests and biodiversity, safeguard and restore mangroves from deforestation, invest in regenerative agriculture within Gucci’s supply chain, and encourage farmers to shift to regenerative practices more broadly through carbon farming.
In the fashion industry, 90% of all environmental impact falls in the supply chain and The House of Gucci now counts all emissions in that chain, from raw material sourcing to manufacture and distribution. All of which is new and promising in a sector which has historically been less than clear about its enormous environmental impact, second only to the petrochemicals industry.
“We want to be part of the solution for nature and climate by mainstreaming practices and systems that will transform nature from being a victim of climate to becoming an actor to change climate, which will ultimately determine the future of our planet,” says Bizzarri of the Natural Climate Solutions Portfolio.
Rather than greenwashing or greenshushing, The House of Gucci has started to play a significant leadership role by looking at the entire supply chain of their business and making interventions that will drive carbon sequestration, protect biodiversity and prevent habitat loss.
