Levi Strauss, M&S Launch Fashion Renewable Collaborative
Levi Strauss & Co., Marks & Spencer, and Schneider Electric’s SE Advisory Services have launched the Fashion Renewable Collaborative (FRC), targeting one of fashion’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions: electricity used across global manufacturing supply chains.
Announced during New York Climate Week, the program aims to help garment manufacturers, fabric mills and other apparel suppliers access renewable electricity. It will combine education, market guidance and technical support to help suppliers navigate clean energy procurement.
The companies are also inviting other fashion brands to join the initiative.
A broader membership could create a more consistent approach to renewable energy procurement across supplier networks that often serve multiple global brands.
Tackling fashion’s manufacturing emissions
Textile processing, including energy-intensive fabric mills and dye houses, accounts for more than half of the fashion industry’s emissions, according to Levi Strauss. Moving these facilities toward renewable electricity is therefore a major opportunity to reduce manufacturing emissions.
Yet suppliers face significant barriers. Renewable electricity can require substantial upfront investment, while energy markets and procurement rules differ across countries. Manufacturers working with several brands can also face conflicting climate requirements.
The FRC is designed to reduce that complexity. Suppliers will receive digital education and market-specific guidance, along with practical support for power purchase agreements, energy certificates, on-site solar, and battery storage.
The goal is to replace fragmented brand requirements with a clearer route to renewable electricity procurement.
India pilot provides model for expansion
The collaborative builds on work already underway within Levi Strauss’ supply chain. The company launched a renewable electricity pilot in India more than a year ago to improve supplier access to clean power.
Nearly 50 facilities enrolled in the program. Levi Strauss said the participation demonstrated both supplier demand and the importance of reducing barriers to renewable energy adoption.
The FRC will now attempt to apply those lessons across a wider section of the apparel industry.
That expansion could also have financial implications for participating suppliers. Coordinated procurement and clearer market guidance may help companies assess PPAs and other clean energy investments while avoiding duplicated programs for different customers.
.png "image title")
Supply chain decarbonization moves into execution
For Levi Strauss, the initiative forms part of its wider climate transition strategy. The company introduced its Climate Transition Action Plan in 2024, setting a net-zero emissions target for 2050 and a goal to cut supply chain emissions by 42% by 2030.
The supply chain accounts for more than 99% of the company’s climate footprint. That places supplier energy use at the center of its decarbonization strategy rather than at the margins of corporate operations.
For fashion executives and investors, the FRC also illustrates a broader shift in corporate climate programs. Scope 3 targets increasingly depend on whether companies can translate commitments into financing, procurement structures and technical support that suppliers can actually use.
The model could become more consequential if additional brands participate. Suppliers often manufacture for several companies at once, so alignment between buyers matters for reducing administrative costs and accelerating investment.
As fashion companies work toward 2030 climate targets, renewable electricity in manufacturing is becoming both an emissions issue and a supply chain governance challenge. The FRC is designed to address both by giving suppliers a common framework for turning clean energy targets into on-the-ground projects.
Source: esgnews.com