CEO of Louis Vuitton willing to trade growth for sustainability in the short term; sees fashion as pivotal to cultural exchange between China and the world
- Louis Vuitton has a goal of halving its carbon emissions by 2030, and CEO Michael Burke says rise of the sharing economy that extends its bags’ lifespan helps
- China hasn’t embraced sustainability the same way but will catch up, he says, and adds that ‘commerce is a positive force between cultures and nations’
Louis Vuitton – the top brand at LVMH, the largest luxury group in the world – may have fared well during a major global economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but chief executive Michael Burke is not resting on his laurels.
A veteran of LVMH with successful stints at brands such as Dior, Fendi and Bulgari, Burke is today focusing on making Louis Vuitton sustainable.
Sustainability in fashion is a fraught topic. After all, how can an industry built on the idea of constant newness be sustainable?
Louis Vuitton has, until now, been very cautious when it comes to making broad statements about sustainability. However, it has just released a report with “meaningful and measurable percentage changes, which we were not able to do before”, as Burke explains in an interview.
The brand has the ambitious goal of cutting carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 through initiatives such as the elimination of single-use plastic in its packaging, and the reuse or recycling of all materials used for events and window displays.