French luxury group Kering has taken an official stand on making unsubstantiated or proven sustainability claims with the launch of its Kering Standards: Standards & guidance for sustainable production.
- Kering has added two new chapters to the 2022 version over and above the earlier company standards: Cut, Make, Trim, and Sustainability claims.
The backdrop: With consumer authorities in Europe increasingly cracking down on companies that make sustainability claims that are not grounded in scientific facts, brands have been trying to play it cautious.
- Kering is the first to issue guidelines, made transparent by putting those in the public domain, that clearly caution everyone in the company from making misleading environmental claims that can be described as "greenwashing."
- Kering owns the luxury brands Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent.
The new document: Kering published its first set of Standards for Raw Materials and Manufacturing Processes in 2018. The document has been renamed with the addition of the two new chapters.
- The updated version addresses "growing interests and emerging concerns such as regenerative agriculture and the product end-of-life phase with a further focus on innovation. Reviewed annually, these major developments reflect the Group’s commitment to transparency and its open-source approach."
- This document, along with the Standards for Raw Materials and Manufacturing Processes (2019) and the Animal Welfare Standards and Standards for Stores (2020) together represent the drivers that, Kering believes, will enable the Group to achieve its ambitious 2025 targets on traceability, human rights, and the reduction of its environmental footprint and greenhouse gas emissions.
The statement: The document categorically states: "Applying these principles and definitions as a benchmark, the Kering Guidance for sustainability claims has been designed to provide support to its brands and to avoid any risk of potential greenwashing statements."
The company benchmarks: The Kering Standards are meant to act as a guide for the Group's suppliers so as to ensure compliance with Kering’s and its Houses’ environmental and social requirements.
- These have been developed in collaboration with third party experts and NGOs, and are said to be based on the latest scientific research as well as existing standards, legislation, best management practices and guidelines from different industries.
The scope: The Kering Group defines a sustainability claim as "a representation of the environmental and/or social impacts of a product’s raw materials, production, distribution, use and disposal. Claims can be made in many forms, including both words and pictures and they can be either expressed or implied."
The general recommendations:
- Prefer to tell the story of the product rather than a single, isolated claim taken out of context
- Be sincere and accurate when describing the product’s environmental or social benefits
- Provide evidence to support claims Clearly differentiate what is related to a component or the overall product
Specific recommendations:
- Strictly follow the rules for claims associated with certified materials
- Beware of end-of-life statements
- When it comes to climate action, mention emission reduction efforts and contribution to offset programmes separately rather than claiming “carbon neutrality” for products
Three critical definitions: The Standard lays down definitions of three terms that are widely used:
- Biodegradable: a biodegradable material is capable of being naturally decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms in a specified time and at a specified rate. The “biodegradable” claim is prohibited by regulation in several countries/states such as France, Belgium for packaging or California. Compliance with these regulations is mandatory. In other countries, Kering advises against making claims around biodegradability because it can be misleading.
- Compostable: a compostable material is a material that can break down in an industrial facility or at home. All compostable materials are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable materials are compostable. The “compostable” claim is prohibited by regulation in some countries (e.g. France) unless the material is certified “home compost”. In all cases, Kering advises against using this claim because it is not in line with Kering’s ambition for product durability.
- Recyclable: a recyclable product or component can be diverted from the waste stream through available processes and programs and can be collected, processed and reused as raw materials or products. A general “recyclable” claim, which wouldn’t be following the local regulation is not recommended. This is because recyclability varies from country to country and because there is currently no harmonised methodology for ensuring that a product is recyclable. Please note that this does not cover the mandatory information that will be required in France by the Article 13th of the AGEC law.
