At COP 28, LVMH announces a redoubling of its biodiversity and climate initiatives, in line with its LIFE 360 environmental program

Taking into account the urgent need to combat global warming, LVMH is more committed than ever to its environmental targets. As COP 28 takes place in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) from November 30 to December 12, the Group is stepping up its initiatives to protect biodiversity and combat climate change. 

Convinced that companies have a major role to play in the fight against climate change, LVMH, whose environmental action has been a pillar of its growth strategy for nearly 30 years, is continuing its policy of testimony and dialogue with stakeholders following its presence at COP 26 and 27. 

Designed to forge a new alliance between nature and creativity, LIFE 360 is the Group’s environmental action program, based on four pillars: the fight against climate change, the protection of biodiversity, creative circularity, and traceability. 

Signature of a new agreement with the Foundation For Amazon Sustainability (FAS) to combat deforestation. 

LVMH is also taking action to combat global warming right across its value chain (scope 3), by supporting ecosystem and soil preservation initiatives, to increase soil carbon storage capacity. Protecting biodiversity is a critical mission for all of LVMH Group’s activities, since nature provides its essential raw materials in all six sectors. 

Continuing its partnership with UNESCO’s ‘Man and the Biosphere’ (MAB) program, at COP 28 LVMH is launching a new project with the Foundation for Amazon Sustainability (FAS). The aim of this new project is to combat deforestation, one of the main threats to ecosystems in the Amazon region. LVMH is investing 1 million euros in its partnership with FAS to balance environmental protection with sustainable development that respects local cultural contexts.  

LVMH’s overall objective is to regenerate 5 million hectares of wildlife habitat worldwide, and to limit the environmental impact of its activities. This project focuses on three main areas:  

 1.Biodiversity and ecosystem conservation  

LVMH is committed to developing a report on biodiversity in the Rio Negro region, and to implementing a biodiversity monitoring scheme that focuses on flagship wildlife species in the region. 

 2.Education and capacity building  

The Group has provided support for operating schools and for educational materials focused on sustainable biodiversity management. It has also developed educational content on the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and on biodiversity conservation for young students and community leaders.  

3.Sustainable supply chains on the ground 

LVMH has invested in production infrastructure in existing local supply chains (community tourism, traditional handicrafts, recreational fishing, wood management) and in distribution channels for local supply chains. 

The partnership was signed on Saturday, December 2 (2-3 pm local time) at the Stella McCartney stand – Green Zone, Expo City, with Antoine Arnault (Image & Environment, LVMH), Hélène Valade (Group Environmental Development Director, LVMH) and Virgilio Viana (CEO, FAS). 

LVMH is also proud to announce the first results of its partnership with Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA), formalized in November 2022 at COP 27 in Egypt: 

• More than 500 farmers identified and trained in two regions around Lake Chad.  
• 12 hectares reserved to act as a laboratory and training center.  
• A 0.5-hectare tree nursery launched to supply the plants that farmers need.  

• The first regenerative cotton harvests will take place in 2024. The aim is to integrate this production into the supply chains of the Group’s Maisons.  

The regenerative cotton agriculture and agroforestry program in the Lake Chad region introduces sustainable and regenerative cotton production methods, promoting biodiversity as well as economic opportunities for the local population. 

This project is part of the Great Green Wall project, which aims to curb desertification, with a target of replanting 500,000 trees and regenerating 5,000 hectares by 2026. In 2023, The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which has significant expertise in implementing projects in areas with sensitive geopolitical and societal contexts, joined the project.   

These first results were unveiled on Saturday, December 2 (4:45-6:45 pm local time) at the United Kingdom pavilion, Blue Zone, Dubai Expo, with words from Hélène Valade (Group Environmental Development Director, LVMH), Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim (President of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad), Bai Yunwen (Vice President of the Institute of Finance and Sustainability, Beijing), Hubert Keller (Senior Managing Partner, Lombard Odier), Juliette White CBE (Vice President Global SHE and Sustainability, AstraZeneca). 

Support of Stella McCartney’s “Sustainable Market” pavilion, which promotes new eco-responsible materials. 

In the Green Zone at COP 28, Stella McCartney, with the support of the Group, is presenting its “Sustainable Market”, a pavilion in which Stella McCartney and LVMH are exhibiting the most innovative raw materials from regenerative agriculture, biotechnologies and the circular economy. 

Inspired by the canopy used for Stella McCartney’s Summer 2024 show in Paris last October at the Saxe Market, the pavilion will showcase Central Saint Martins, UAL, including Maison/0, regenerative cotton from Söktas, and start-up BioFluff, a 100% plant-based alternative to animal fur. On this occasion, Stella McCartney and Veuve Clicquot are highlighting a raw material that is the fruit of lengthy research, making it possible to recycle certain winegrowing waste to produce a fabric used to make the Frayme bag. 

Continuation of the program of partnerships with shopping centres to minimise the environmental impact of stores. 

LVMH is committed to a strategy based on the science of decarbonizing its value chain. Approved by SBTi (Science Based Target Initiative), LVMH’s ambition is to reduce its scope 3 GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions per unit of added value by 55% by 2030 and by 50% of those related to energy consumption by 2026 (based on 2019). 

Special attention is being paid to improving the energy footprint of its stores, which must be showcases for the Group’s exemplary environmental credentials, especially as they represent scope 3 for commercial property owners around the world. One of the highlights of this commitment in 2022 was the signature by LVMH of its first partnership with a leading shopping centre owner in China, Hang Lung Properties. The first concrete results were rewarded at the 2023 Green Point Awards.  

Following on from this agreement, the Group is launching two new partnerships with commercial landlords at COP 28: 

• The first partnership is between the top five local real estate developers in the United Arab Emirates. This innovative alliance between Chalhoub Group, EMAAR Malls Management (L.L.C), Majid Al Futtaim Properties LLC, Aldar Properties PJSC and LVMH, demonstrates that the main players in selective distribution in the UAE are united around a shared commitment to sustainability. Clear targets are set for the shopping malls, including ambitious and innovative environmental practices covering water consumption, air conditioning efficiency, the use of clean energy, as well as responsible design and construction practices.  

The partnership was signed on Saturday, December 2 at a ceremony with Antoine Arnault (Image and Environment, LVMH), Patrick Chalhoub (CEO, Chalhoub Group), Mohamed Al Matrooshi (Head of Dubai Mall, EMAAR Malls Management (L.L.C)), Ahmed El Shamy (CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Properties LLC), and Faisal Falaknaz (Finance and Sustainability Director, Aldar Properties PJSC).  

• Also signing an agreement with LVMH will be Miami Design District (MDD), the iconic neighborhood dedicated to innovative fashion, design, art, architecture and dining, reflecting their shared commitment to sustainable development. The partnership between the Group and MDD will involve the 15 LVMH Maisons that rent commercial premises in Miami Design District, namely Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Berluti, Tiffany & Co., Bulgari and Hublot. The agreement focuses on tangible and measurable initiatives to achieve 100% renewable energy in these boutiques. A key element will be the participation by the Group’s Maisons and by Miami Design District Associates, the neighborhood’s developer and operator, in Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) ‘SolarTogether’ solar energy program. Other tenants of boutiques at MDD are encouraged to join this agreement. 

“In keeping with the ambitious sustainability goals set by LVMH as part of our LIFE 360 roadmap, the LIFE in Stores initiative is key to optimizing our stores’ environmental performance and reducing their footprint. Our Maisons strive to offer customers a unique experience, and we adhere to the highest standards, from the design and operation of our stores to the focus we place on our customers and society. These two new commitments with major local partners in the UAE and in Florida (United States), announced today, are an important step in aligning our commitment to excellence in distribution with our climate ambitions. This requires an ongoing effort to improve the environmental performance of our 5,600+ stores worldwide. We are delighted to be able to expand our collaboration with Miami Design District as we progress towards greater sustainability, and we encourage other industry players to join us,” says Antoine Arnault, Image & Environment, LVMH.  

As a further illustration of its commitment to biodiversity, LVMH is delighted that Berluti has become the first luxury Maison in the world to offer a store with ‘Full Project FSC® certification,’ in accordance with the FSC-STD-40-006 V2 standard (License FSC-P001977), with its Berluti store at the Mall of Emirates, owned by Majid al-Futtaim Properties, one of the five key players in the partnership signed with the owners of malls in the UAE. 

“We are delighted with the FSC certification of the first Maison Berluti store. Thanks to its commitment, the LVMH Group is doing its bit to help conserve forests, through an innovative, brand-new project in the luxury sector. The FSC project certification also demonstrates the commitment of all stakeholders involved, from architects to artisans. Ensuring the wood materials used in construction or development projects are responsibly sourced is essential to supporting the eco-responsible approach of managers of certified forests. At a time when forests are facing so many crises (climate change, biodiversity loss), they can also provide solutions. We will continue to support the LVMH Group and its Maisons in developing what we hope will be new, ever more ambitious, projects,” says Aurélien Sautière, Executive Director, FSC France. 

The Group’s climate and biodiversity commitments, and those of its Maisons, is also illustrated by Moët Hennessy’s organization of a conference on the topic ‘Regenerating soils to combat climate change’ with its partners Genesis, WWF France and the ‘4 per 1 000’ initiative, as part of the Living Soils program and the next World Living Soils Forum.