Levi Strauss & Co. has just released its 2030 Water Strategy—Beyond the Blue, a new roadmap to reduce water use, improve water quality, and help suppliers and communities become more resilient to climate change, as part of its Climate Transition Plan startegy.
“We know climate change is the existential challenge of our time—and water is where many of its impacts are felt most acutely,” said Michelle Gass, president and CEO, Levi Strauss & Co.
“Our 2030 Water Strategy outlines how we’ll continue to lead on water stewardship, not just by reducing our own impact, but by helping build resilience in the places that need it most.”
Among its main targets, the company aims to reduce absolute freshwater use by 15% by 2030 across its apparel and textile manufacturing suppliers, compared to a 2022 base year. It has also set the target to ensure 40% of water used in manufacturing is recycled or reused.
These goals seem especially ambitious as one pair of Levi’s 501 jeans equates to 3,781 liters of water consumption; that is approximately three days’ worth of one US household’s total water needs. Such a consumption has a vast impact as the company’s garments are manufactured in more than 30 countries. Approximately 80% of them are manufactured in Asia, and the rest are made in countries including Mexico, Brazil, Egypt, Turkey, and parts of Africa, among others.
As part of its strategy, L&SCo will publish an open-source industry guide on water recycling and reuse and ensure that 100% of direct discharge supplier facilities achieve the “Foundational” performance level of water pollution compliance and 25% reach the “Progressive” level, as defined by the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation.
The holding will also support suppliers with training and tools to strengthen their water resilience. It will also launch watershed restoration projects in areas of high-water stress, aligned to its 2030 biodiversity goal, such as the Sutlej and Indus basins in Pakistan and the Meghna basin in Bangladesh.
It has also defined specific projects aimed at expanding water, sanitation, and hygiene projects, including its participation in WaterAid’s Women + Water Collaborative in India, which aims to reach 150,000 people with access to clean water in its first two years.
“A reliable supply of clean water is essential for health, dignity, and a life full of opportunity. But 2.2 billion people in the world still do not have access to that life-saving resource. In Levi Strauss & Co., we’ve found a partner that values the power of collaboration to address the water crisis, one of the most challenging, but solvable, problems of this generation,” said Kelly Parsons, CEO, WaterAid America.
“Levi Strauss & Co.’s leadership in advancing water availability, quality, and access for communities shows what’s possible through adoption of the Water Resilience Coalition’s Positive Water Impact framework,” said Jason Morrison, head and CEO, Water Mandate and president of the Pacific Institute. “Their 2030 Water Strategy embodies the ambition needed for a water-resilient future,” he added.
Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) is one of the world’s largest brand-name apparel companies and a global leader in jeanswear. Its products are sold in approximately 120 countries worldwide through approximately 3,200 retail stores and shop-in-shops. Levi Strauss & Co.’s reported 2024 net revenues were $6.4 billion.
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