We can be stewards of the natural world for generations to come and operate an enduring business by embracing practices that lighten our footprint and protect biodiversity. This not only includes creating products more thoughtfully, but it extends to how we operate our business: transitioning to renewable energy, diverting waste from landfill and managing water use with care across our operations and value chain.
Progress on Our Goals
34% absolute emissions reduction from a
FY20 baseline
32% total water use reduction across our operations and value chain
Finalized our biodiversity strategy and goals in adherence to Step 3 of the open-source guidelines for setting science-based targets for nature
Finalized our biodiversity strategy and goals in adherence to Step 3 of the open-source guidelines for setting science-based targets for nature
We remain committed to an ambitious Climate roadmap and are evolving our approach to emissions reductions, focusing on rolling five-year milestones. Our near-term target to reduce absolute GHG emissions will build toward long-term impact reduction across our operations and value chain.
We are committed to reducing Water consumption across our value chain and replenishing and safeguarding water resources in our communities.
We focus on Chemical Management by monitoring and working to eliminate hazardous chemical use and discharge from our product manufacturing and supply chain.
We are addressing Biodiversity by working to reduce our impact on nature and restore and regenerate ecosystems in our supply chain.
We are advancing our decarbonization journey through strategic actions for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our own operations and supply chain. This includes using renewable electricity in our facilities, sourcing fibers aligned to our sustainable materials criteria, engaging directly with suppliers to eliminate on-site coal and supporting collaborative funding models such as the Future Supplier Initiative — a collective financing mechanism facilitated by The Fashion Pact in partnership with Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), Guidehouse and DBS Bank.
In FY25, we achieved our target to power our owned and operated facilities with 100% renewable electricity by continuing to implement energy efficiency measures to decrease our energy intensity and by continuing to invest in renewable energy attribute certificates. To contribute additional renewable electricity to the grid, we have contracted renewable power from a new project currently under development in Europe.
We are committed to identifying and directly working with our suppliers to phase out on-site coal consumption. As of the end of FY25, we have identified and engaged 80 on-site coal users globally, including Tier 1, Tier 2 and subcontracted facilities. Of these, 66 facilities have successfully phased out on-site coal use, while 13 are either no longer active or in the process of deactivation, leaving only one active coal user.
Achieving and sustaining our GHG reduction targets requires industry-wide collaboration, which is central to our decarbonization strategy. Through Apparel Impact Institute’s Carbon Leadership Program (CLP), we work with suppliers to set and implement goals and roadmaps to reduce their carbon footprints. In FY25, involvement in the CLP included approximately 170 facilities, which on average have set a carbon reduction target of approximately 64% by 2030, using a 2019 baseline. Additionally, we participate in industry initiatives, including the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, Aii’s Future Supplier Initiative, Cascale, The Fashion Pact, Clean Energy Buyers Association, RE100 and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Climate Business Network, among others.
Cotton accounts for approximately 80% of the key materials found within Ralph Lauren products. In 2021, The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation provided a grant to The Soil Health Institute to help launch the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund (USRCF) to empower growers and their trusted advisors with the education, tools, information and networks they need to successfully adopt regenerative soil health systems and increase agricultural productivity.
The USRCF is focused on these key initiatives:
- Standardizing soil measurement and goal-setting through the development of soil health targets
- Empowering farmer education through soil health training
- Building the regenerative movement through impact assessment and communication
- Creating a resilient future through its programs
Since it launched in 2021, USRCF has made significant impact, including:
- 12.5M acres had soil health benchmarks established
- 136K acres represented in USRCF economic analysis
- 1,718 growers and advisors engaged through training and events
- 1,295 soil sample locations in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Oklahoma
- 1,079 soil health reports being created
- $172 per acre increased net farm income on average
- $74 per acre reduced production costs on average
- Nine states where USRCF soil health education programs are active
Ralph Lauren is committed to leveraging globally recognized frameworks to understand and address our key impacts on nature. By following an open-source methodology for setting science-based targets for nature, we’re working to reduce negative impacts and enhance benefits for both nature and people.
In FY24, we completed Steps 1 and 2 of the open-source methodology by conducting a materiality assessment. Using a location- and commodity-specific approach, we identified the most pressing challenges for Ralph Lauren — such as water quantity and quality, soil pollution, land use change, land use and biodiversity — and identified key raw materials to prioritize, particularly cotton and cashmere.
In FY25, we leveraged findings from Steps 1 and 2 to develop a comprehensive strategy and goals in adherence to Step 3 of the open-source guidelines for setting science-based targets for nature. Recognizing that biodiversity affects every part of our value chain, we will engage our supply chain partners in our nature-related goals and initiatives as we advance our strategy, which we plan to share in 2026.
