Louis Vuitton enacts intersectional environmentalism with conservation effort
February 1, 2023
People for Wildlife 2023 | LOUIS VUITTON
The company cites the educational appeal of the project, as it will provide further insight into the world of equitable and sustainable materials sourcing. Working with Dr. Natusch, Louis Vuitton is set to not only fund vital research and the preservation of biodiversity, but to attain scientifically backed methods to responsibly source raw materials.
“We need to be using natural resources,” Dr. Natusch said.
“The key is to do it in a sustainable way, to ensure that it’s responsible and we can continue to that use indefinitely.”
The work will also help the company meet its goal of lessening Louis Vuitton’s carbon footprint by 55 percent in time for 2030, as outlined by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
Louis Vuitton’s funding supports some of the most biodiverse lands on the planet. Filled with forests, water-dominated ecosystems and wild coastlines, the research and stewardship being done help monitor biodiversity loss, and will hopefully provide answers for reversing it.
People for Wildlife focuses on many biodiversity conservation projects that further social welfare, as sociologists, ecologists, communications professionals and economists work together in this calling. This partnership with Louis Vuitton is no different.
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In the past however, environmental work has not always been done fairly. Tree planting efforts have been done on indigenous land without the consent of the people, National Parks have been created by kicking out those who lived on the land for a millennia, and “Not in my backyard” efforts have saved the environmental integrity of white neighborhoods at the expense of Black neighborhoods, inheriting the rejected hazards (such as factories or oil plants).
After a long history of white-washed and uninclusive conservation efforts, the work being done in Australia seeks to integrate the voices of those who live locally. The community-focused approach to this kind of work is a deeply important part of intersectional environmentalism, as the field considers people to be worth just as much consideration as other animals.
Louis Vuitton and People for Wildlife operate with this mindset, as the charity incorporates Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into the work being done. This honors the invaluable environmental insights held by indigenous people, as well as offer sustainable means of employment to the population.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="465"] Dr. Natusch is spearheading the project, working with Louis Vuitton to explore the region in a responsible way. Ima
In the podcast, the women discuss what true female liberation looks like, and come to the agreement that it revolves around the idea of choice; agency.
Gucci has long been a proponent of choice, standing by women in the United States as their right to reproductive freedom has been continually threatened in recent years.
The brand not only released items that supported abortion rights and gave statements confirming their support of it alongside other luxury brands, but decided to go a step further and provide financial aid to employees who would have to travel out-of-state in order to receive care in the face of the unconstitutional bans ( see story ).
Since 2020, the brand has been bolstering its many gender equality efforts with environmental initiatives, launching a more in-depth and transparent version of Gucci Equilibrium that summer ( see story ). Gucci has since released a slew of programs and advancements in terms of sustainability – something that was highlighted this week with the release of the podcast episode.
Gucci's vision of a modern, responsible and circular luxury is elevated throughout the design process. The House has been transforming its supply chain, from how and where raw materials are sourced for its collections, to the efficient and innovative processes used to make them. pic.twitter.com/mf0MYycPYZ
— Gucci Equilibrium (@ggequilibrium) March 20, 2023
As waste becomes even more of a global crisis, Gucci has especially been homing in on circular models, looking to the method in order to boost the company’s sustainability and achieve targeted green goals.
The brand has partnered with Vestiare Collective to provide preloved options for consumers, pushed product care and repair programs, embraced vintage, began using discarded pieces to create new ones, prioritized regenerative agricultural sources, increased recycled materials and among other things, has recently released the Circular Hub – Italy’s first platform dedicated
