“Timelessness is not just about style or a moment. It’s about the future and taking care with every decision we make today to shape the world for the generations to come.”
For nearly 60 years, we have delivered on our Purpose — to inspire the dream of a better life through authenticity and timeless style — through cinematic storytelling, iconic products and immersive experiences that consumers around the world have come to treasure and trust.
To build on that trust and operate a business that endures, we must futureproof what we create and support the people and resources that enable those creations.
Timeless by Design is our intentional approach to enhancing the resilience of the teams, communities, partners and natural resources that are essential to our business. Over the past several years, we have made meaningful progress against ambitious goals and woven new practices into the way we operate.
The next phase of our strategy, Timeless by Design 2030, advances our efforts with a focus on four pillars — Partner for Impact, Protect Natural Resources, Engage & Enable Teams and Care for Communities — where we will drive measurable progress in priority areas. Each pillar is anchored by a flagship program with defined targets representing initiatives where Ralph Lauren can have a unique and positive impact.
We collaborate with partners throughout our value chain to help drive positive impact, from the preservation of heritage craft and the collective efforts to reduce emissions to respecting the rights and well-being of the people who make our products.
FLAGSHIP PROGRAM: DESIGN WITH INTENT
Ralph Lauren has long been inspired by the cultures and artistry that shape America. Design with Intent encompasses our industry-leading programs that ensure the products we make and the stories we tell are authentic expressions of heritage.
GOAL:
By the end of FY31, ensure Design with Intent programs are integrated within seasonal product launches across brands on a sustained basis.
SUPPLIER ENGAGEMENT
We are investing time and resources to build strong partnerships to support an agile, resilient value chain network that can respond to disruption and change.
GOALS:
- By the end of FY31, reduce freshwater intensity associated with textile processing by 15% in priority water-stressed basins, measured from a FY20 base year.
- By the end of FY31, at least 70% of our business will be with high-performing suppliers that meet our strategic and key partnership expectations, including business, quality and impact.
WORKER WELL-BEING
Throughout our global supply chain, we are advancing ethical practices, respect for human rights and meaningful opportunities for the people who make our products by partnering with suppliers and other external stakeholders.
GOALS:
- By the end of FY31, make empowerment and life skills programs available to 250,000 workers across our supply chain.
- By the end of FY31, ensure all strategic and key suppliers will have the capabilities and systems in place to deliver fair and timely compensation.
SUPPLY CHAIN DECARBONIZATION
In collaboration with industry partners and leading organizations, we are engaging in collective efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the resilience of our supply chain.
GOAL:
By the end of CY30, reduce absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 30% from a FY20 base year.
To create timeless products that are made to live on, we advance efforts to enhance the resilience of natural resources and reduce our environmental impacts — supported by innovation that helps us achieve both of these objectives.
FLAGSHIP PROGRAM: COTTON STEWARDSHIP
Cotton is the most widely used material in our products. We work to address its key climate- and nature-related impacts and support its resilience, enabling us to continue to produce high-quality products.
GOAL:
By the end of FY31, 30% of our global cotton volume for apparel will consist of regeneratively grown cotton and/or recycled cotton.
RESILIENCE IN NATURAL MATERIALS
To ensure long-term access to high-quality preferred materials — including both plant and animal-based — we are engaging partners to improve soil health and strengthen land management and animal welfare practices. These efforts help reduce sourcing risk and protect nature.
CIRCULAR DESIGN & EXPERIENCES
Our commitment to circularity is embedded throughout our design and development process, enabling our products to be loved and passed on through generations.
GOAL:
By the end of FY31, ensure that 85% of our apparel units (by volume) will be created in accordance with our Circular Principles.
CIRCULAR PRINCIPLES
These principles include:
- Create Responsibly: We are intentional in our choices, sourcing third party-certified materials and using processes that reduce impact and support a resilient supply chain.
- Design for Cyclability: We select materials and construction methods that support textile recycling and reduce waste, considering the end-of-life.
- Design for Longevity: We design for longevity by creating timeless, durable products that are made to last, including features that enable repair and alterations over time.
- Inspire Circulation: We connect consumers to ways to repair and recirculate products, from enhanced care instructions to vintage offerings, extending their lifecycle.
NEXT GEN MATERIALS
For years, we have explored the use of innovative materials that meet our — and our customers’ — high expectations of quality. We will continue to source new materials that reduce environmental impact and enable circularity, all while delivering for our customers.
Our teams are at the center of our success. We enable our employees to reach their potential through opportunities for growth and development, programs that support their well-being and by fostering a culture of belonging — creating an employee experience that attracts and retains the industry’s best talent.
FLAGSHIP PROGRAM: ONLY AT RL
Only at RL encompasses the unique experience of working at Ralph Lauren. It reflects what we expect of our employees, how we build careers and how we create an environment where everyone feels valued.
GOAL:
By the end of FY31, maintain Global Employee Survey engagement and enablement scores at or above the high-performing norm.1
We provide the tools and resources our teams need to feel empowered and able to support our long-term sustainable growth. Our focus areas include:
- Belonging & Equity: We create and maintain a culture of inclusion within our Company and throughout the communities we serve, enabling all people to thrive.
- Learning & Development: We foster employee growth through professional development opportunities, including structured programs for building skills and capabilities.
- Total Rewards: We support the physical, emotional, social and financial well-being of our employees through our comprehensive and individualized benefits and wellness programs.
Through employee volunteering, philanthropic giving and strategic partnerships, Ralph Lauren helps to uplift the communities we serve globally and advances opportunities to enable the dream of a better life for all.
FLAGSHIP PROGRAM: PINK PONY
Pink Pony is the Company’s worldwide initiative focused on the fight against cancer that supports programs for research, screenings, treatment, education and patient navigation.
GOAL:
Increase our FY31 global financial support to cancer-related organizations, including the Pink Pony Fund of The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation, by 25% from a FY25 base year.
In addition to Pink Pony, our Community Outreach & Impact and Ralph Lauren Gives Back programs drive our work to care for the communities we serve.
- Community Outreach & Impact: We work to enable the dream of a better life for all through philanthropic giving, education, awareness and strategic community partnerships.
- Ralph Lauren Gives Back: We empower our global employees to directly support their communities through opportunities to volunteer their time and resources to those in need.
Our Continued Efforts
We’ve made meaningful progress since formalizing our citizenship and sustainability work.
We’ve woven key commitments throughout our operations and are dedicated to maintaining and advancing the progress we’ve made.
Ongoing Commitments
100% preferred material attributes
Use safer and more sustainable chemicals
throughout our business to address their human and environmental impact
No on-site coal consumption
maintenance in Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturing facilities
>90% waste diversion rate
maintenance from landfill or incineration across our distribution centers
100% recyclable, reusable
or preferred material attributes maintenance for our packaging materials3
All key wood suppliers
for new Ralph Lauren store interiors will continue to use preferred material attributes for wood substrates4
100% renewable electricity
will power our owned and operated facilities
BIODIVERSITY
To reinforce our commitment to protecting nature, our biodiversity approach 5 is integrated across operations, focusing on the most pressing nature issues for Ralph Lauren — water quality, soil health and biodiversity — and is aligned with our goals related to climate change, water stewardship and chemical management.
Having assessed materiality, identified priorities and established targets, we’re focusing on the next steps to strengthen ecosystems. We will continue to source materials that meet our preferred material attributes, prioritizing recycled and regenerative inputs; engage in landscape initiatives that restore natural systems and enhance farmers’ livelihoods; and collaborate with partners and stakeholders to drive systemic change that protects biodiversity globally.
FOOTNOTES
- High-performing norm is defined as “Retail 75th percentile” scores taken from the survey vendor’s external benchmark within the retail industry.
- Preferred material attributes for key materials are defined as: Cotton: organic (Organic Content Standard or Global Organic Textile Standard), transitional/in-conversion, Better Cotton, recycled (Global Recycled Standard or Recycled Claim Standard), U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, regenerative: regenerative agriculture is a holistic, outcome-based approach to farming, consisting of principles and practices aimed at restoring soil health and increasing biodiversity to build resilient supply chains and ecosystems; Polyester: recycled (Global Recycled Standard or Recycled Claim Standard);Wool: Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)-certified or recycled (Global Recycled Standard or Recycled Claim Standard);Viscose: CanopyStyle verified suppliers; Down: Responsible Down Standard (RDS)-certified or recycled (Global Recycled Standard or Recycled Claim Standard); Leather: Leather Working Group (LWG)-certified tanneries; and Cashmere: Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA)-certified (or equivalent) or recycled (Global Recycled Standard or Recycled Claim Standard).
- Preferred material attributes for packaging materials are defined based on material type:
- Forest-based packaging (e.g., paper, corrugate, wood) must contain a minimum of 20% recycled content and/or be certified by one of the following: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) or Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
- Plastic-based packaging (e.g., PET, LDPE) must contain a minimum of 20% recycled content.
- Textile-based packaging must meet our sustainably-sourced key material criteria.
- Preferred material attributes for wood substrates are those which are certified by a forest management system, repurposed or recycled.
- Our biodiversity approach adheres to open-source guidelines for establishing science-based targets for nature and follows a location- and commodity-specific approach.