A new tool will help LVMH, Chanel and others measure their sustainable progress

While many fashion houses are making efforts and implementing significant changes towards sustainability, it remains challenging for them to determine if their work will pay off in the long term. But don’t worry—the "Accelerating Climate Transition" (ACT) initiative is here to address this issue, in collaboration with luxury giants like LVMH and Chanel. Today, ACT unveils its latest project: a mechanism that enables companies committed to sustainability to review their strategy and assess whether it will be successful or not. The process is straightforward: companies fill out an Excel tool with their data and submit it, along with the required supporting documents, to analysts. These analysts then engage with the company to validate the data, establish a preliminary score, and refine the evaluation based on several criteria, including material investments, climate targets, efforts related to Scope 3 emissions, and supplier engagement. This evaluation goes beyond current performance by also analyzing past actions and future prospects, guided by five principles: engagement, transition plan, present, legacy, and consistency.

The ACT initiative isn’t new: last May, 15 companies, including Aigle, Balzac Paris, Chanel, Decathlon, Lacoste, Petit Bateau, Galeries Lafayette, Bon Marché Rive Gauche, and Zalando, participated in a pilot test to refine the methodology. This revealed that the fashion industry is progressing in governance and political engagement. However, significant efforts are still required. To move away from reliance on continuous volume growth, more radical changes are necessary. “It’s not just about reducing greenhouse gas emissions but about transforming how a company can remain profitable,” explains Marlène Dresch-Bazile, the project’s methodological lead. “We analyzed whether companies are still aiming to be profitable by simply increasing their sales volumes. This is one of the flaws in certain current strategies.”

The ACT tool is now accessible to all companies in the fashion industry, who can work with a team member or a third-party evaluator trained in this methodology. Its use is free, although evaluator training comes at a fee (estimated at under €900). This model is open to suppliers, manufacturers, fashion brands, and retailers. Verification protocols, overseen by entities such as Ademe, ensure the process’s integrity, avoiding any greenwashing. While some players enthusiastically welcome this tool, others prefer to avoid confronting their efforts with rigorous evaluations. The fashion industry must now take the Paris Agreement seriously, beyond symbolic declarations. “Companies can no longer stay in the shadows,” asserts the project lead. Driven by Paris Good Fashion, the ACT initiative brings together partners like Ademe, CDP, the French DEFI program, and a steering committee that includes LVMH, Chanel, Richemont, Lacoste, and other major names. It marks an important step toward a serious climate transition within the fashion sector.