Kering secures second consecutive CDP ‘Triple A’ rating

French luxury conglomerate Kering has once again secured a place on CDP’s coveted ‘Triple A’ list for environmental performance in 2024 — marking the second consecutive year the group has earned top marks across climate change, forests, and water security.

The accolade places Kering, which operates brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, in rare company within the global corporate landscape. Out of a record 24,800 organisations assessed by CDP this year, only a small fraction achieved an ‘A’ rating across all three environmental categories. The London-based non-profit, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, operates the world’s largest environmental disclosure platform, used by investors managing over 130 trillion dollars in assets.

Kering’s sustained presence at the top of the CDP rankings reflects a wider push within the luxury sector to improve environmental transparency amid growing regulatory scrutiny and shifting consumer expectations. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance — once largely treated as a communications tool — is increasingly becoming a point of competitive differentiation for high-end fashion houses, particularly as younger, sustainability-conscious consumers reshape the market.

CDP’s triple ‘A’ rating is based on a detailed, independent assessment that evaluates not only transparency but also companies’ management of environmental risks and their implementation of best practices. In Kering’s case, key data points from the group’s latest disclosures include a 12 percent absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3 — a metric encompassing both direct emissions and those embedded in its supply chain. Kering also reported a 7 percent reduction in water withdrawals across its direct operations, alongside achieving 97 percent traceability for its key raw materials, including 98 percent for leather — a critical material for the group’s leather goods-heavy portfolio.

Kering’s strategy contrasts with the more fragmented approaches seen across much of the luxury sector, where progress on environmental targets remains uneven. With European policymakers tightening climate disclosure requirements and proposed regulations such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive advancing, high-profile sustainability ratings such as those from CDP are poised to play a larger role in shaping investor perceptions and corporate valuations.

Still, environmental leadership in luxury remains a complex balancing act. Brands must not only reduce their environmental footprint but do so without diluting the craftsmanship, exclusivity, and creative freedom that underpin their value. Kering’s performance will therefore be closely watched as a test case for whether luxury’s sustainability aspirations can move beyond rhetoric into measurable action.