IUCN

Partnership with UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere program

In 2019, LVMH signed a five-year partnership with UNESCO to support the agency’s Man and Biosphere intergovernmental scientific program. This framework for international cooperation aims to safeguard biodiversity across the planet and establish sustainability best practices aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

This joint UNESCO-LVMH initiative will focus on two major issues, reforestation and rehabilitation of degraded lands, and creation of sustainable employment and alternative sources of income, ensuring livelihoods for local populations that do not involve recourse to deforestation.

This partnership will in particular see a joint project with a budget of five million euros over five years to fight deforestation in the Amazon basin, a major threat to the region’s ecosystems.

At the same time, the partnership aligns UNESCO’s goal of enabling humans to live in harmony with nature with LVMH’s aim to conceive a “New Luxury” anchored in an alliance between nature and creativity. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, and Antoine Arnault, LVMH Image and Environment, discussed these convictions during two key events on the Congress agenda, the opening ceremony and the CEO Summit.

UNESCO x LVMH joint pavilion at the Congress

UNESCO and the LVMH Group and its Maisons jointly hosted a pavilion to present their convictions and concrete actions to protect biodiversity. The pavilion’s four spaces – each with a title around the theme “ACT”, for “All Committed To” – detail how UNESCO and LVMH are working together for biodiversity:

– “ACT Together” presents the partnership between LVMH and UNESCO initiated in 2019 as part of the Man and Biosphere (MAB) intergovernmental program.

– “ACT for Conservation” details work done by UNESCO and LVMH to facilitate deployment of innovative solutions to sustainably manage natural resources.

– “ACT for Sustainable Use”  shows how, in the face of an unprecedented decrease in biodiversity, UNESCO and LVMH are taking concrete actions to ensure sustainable practices and balance conservation of biodiversity with sustainable use of resources.

– “ACT for Innovation”  details how UNESCO and LVMH are conceiving new tools for conservation of the planet in order to strengthen solidarity and the ability of people to recognize, understand and respect signs sent by the other species that live with us on earth.

“Wither” installation by artist Thijs Biersteker

In conjunction with the Congress, LVMH is supporting the Biocenosis21 exhibition organized by the Art of Change 21 association (curated by Alice Audouin). The  Group is funding and hosting a special edition of the work “Wither” by artist Thijs Biersteker at the UNESCO x LVMH joint pavilion.

The Dutch artist’s creation bridges ecology and technology with an animated sculpture inspired by deforestation data gathered in partnership with UNESCO in order to heighten awareness of event attendees and visitors.