Setting Sail: Kering’s Sustainability Voyage at the ChangeNOW Summit
The Grand Palais in Paris transformed into a hub of planetary hope from April 24th to 26th, hosting the ChangeNOW Summit—the world’s largest gathering for planet-positive solutions. Against the backdrop of the Paris Agreement’s 10th anniversary, this event wasn’t just a conference; it was a launchpad for actionable change ahead of pivotal climate talks like the 2025 UN Ocean Conference and COP30. Luxury fashion titan Kering, a platinum partner for the sixth year running, stole the spotlight, proving sustainability isn’t just a trend but the core of its corporate compass.
ChangeNOW is where innovation meets impact, connecting disruptors, investors, and policymakers to tackle Earth’s most urgent challenges. With allies like Microsoft, Renault, and KPMG, the summit amplified its reach, turning ideas into scalable solutions. Kering’s role? More than ceremonial—it’s strategic. From regenerative agriculture to traceable supply chains, the company is charting a course where luxury and ecology sail side by side.
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1. Nature as a Balance Sheet: Monetizing Ecosystems
At ChangeNOW, Kering’s Rachel Kolbe Semhoun helmed a riveting panel titled *Nature as an Economic Choice*, reframing ecosystems as measurable assets rather than abstract wonders. Take water: by assigning monetary value to clean rivers or healthy wetlands, conservation becomes a fiscal no-brainer. This aligns with Kering’s 2020 biodiversity pledge to achieve a *net positive* impact by 2025.
The panel dissected how industries could pivot from exploitation to investment—think carbon credits for forests or payments for watershed protection. Kering’s own playbook includes funding regenerative farms that restore soil health while sourcing materials. As Semhoun noted, *”When nature’s services appear on balance sheets, boardrooms listen.”*
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2. Threads of Change: Regenerative Agriculture & Ethical Luxury
Kering’s second act at the summit spotlighted *regenerative agriculture*—a farming renaissance that heals land while yielding luxury-grade materials. In a live session, experts unpacked how cotton fields could sequester carbon or how wool production might revive grasslands. For Kering, this isn’t theoretical; its *Materials Innovation Lab* already sources 90% sustainable materials for brands like Gucci and Saint Laurent.
The session also tackled *sustainable luxury*, a term once deemed oxymoronic. Kering’s approach? Design with circularity—think biodegradable sequins or mushroom leather. As one panelist quipped, *”The future of glamour is compostable.”*
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3. Transparency Anchors Trust: The 2025 Traceability Pledge
No sustainability voyage succeeds without mapping the supply chain. Kering vowed full traceability for key materials (e.g., gold, leather) by 2025—a moonshot in an industry rife with opacity. At ChangeNOW, the company revealed tech partnerships using blockchain to track a handbag’s journey from farm to boutique.
This isn’t just PR; it’s risk management. With Gen Z willing to pay premiums for ethical goods, traceability equals trust. As Kering’s CEO François-Henri Pinault often asserts, *”Transparency is the new exclusivity.”*
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Docking at Tomorrow: A Ripple Effect
The ChangeNOW Summit’s waves will ripple far beyond Paris. Kering’s participation underscores a seismic shift: sustainability as corporate imperative, not checkbox. By monetizing nature, pioneering regenerative practices, and embracing radical transparency, the company isn’t just adapting—it’s leading.
For industries watching, the lesson is clear. The tides have turned; the luxury sector’s next must-have isn’t a bag—it’s a blueprint for coexistence. As the summit’s echoes fuel UNOC and COP30, one thing’s certain: Kering’s compass is set toward a future where profit and planet sail in tandem. Anchors aweigh!
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