The Sustainability Year in Stories: October 2024

January 02, 2025

undefined mins

Greenwashing

We look at the articles that made the news in 2024. Today, it is October's turn, featuring the state of greenwashing, Levi's and GE Vernova

The State of Greenwashing Around the World

For the first time in six years, greenwashing has made a decline according to RepRisk.

The state of greenwashing in 2024

Lubomila Jordanova, CEO and Founder of Plan A and Co-Founder of the Greentech Alliance, says: “During the first Earth Day in 1970, corporations spent eight times more on establishing a green image through advertising than the amount they spent on environmental research initiatives.”

RepRisk’s October 2024 report shows a 12% decline in greenwashing cases, so things have improved since the 70s.

Despite this, high-risk incidents have surged by more than 30% in 2024.

It seems like regulations are making a difference. In the EU’s banking and financial services sector, subject to stricter regulations, climate-related greenwashing incidents declined 20% in 2024.

Private companies represent 70% of greenwashing cases in Europe and North America, where incidents are higher than elsewhere around the world.

Research from Capgemini shows that consumer beliefs of greenwashing are on the rise.

Dr James Robey, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Sustainability at Capgemini, says: “Despite increasing corporate efforts to address sustainability, consumer trust remains a significant challenge.

Jeffrey Hogue, Chief Sustainability Officer, Levi's

What is Levi’s Plan for Apparel in the Climate Transition?

The fashion industry is a major contributor to climate change, with the industry currently projected to miss the 1.5 degree pathway by 50%.

Apparel production and consumption continue to grow.

Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) is aiming to make a difference through its climate transition plan, which aims to reach net zero in line with science-based targets.

Famed for its iconic Levi’s jeans, the company also makes clothing as Dockers, Denizen and Beyond Yoga.

“The urgency could not be more evident. Every day, it seems, we see or read about extreme weather events, massive fires, and smoke-filled skies, rising sea levels, climate related mass migration, ecosystem collapse and more,” says Michelle Gass, President and CEO at LS&Co.

Michelle Gass, President and CEO at Levi Strauss & Co.

“This is an existential crisis for our planet – and for business.

“In a world of dwindling resources, the only way companies like ours can grow and earn our licence to grow is if we adopt climate practices that lower our emissions, back policies that can drive a just transition to a resilient low-carbon energy economy and support marginalised communities globally that are being hit hardest by climate impacts.”

Levi’s history of sustainability

In 2018 LS&Co. became one of the first apparel brands to have validated science-based targets and has achieved emissions reductions across all scopes since.

In 2022 the company completed a climate scenario analysis to identify climate risks and opportunities across its value chain.

It updated its targets in 2023 to adjust its Scope 3 target in line with calls for urgent climate action.

LS&Co. also completed a rigorous qualification of its biodiversity footprint which informed the setting of its targets.

Jeffrey Hogue, Chief Sustainability Officer at LS&Co., says: “Setting targets isn’t enough. We knew we needed to be specific about how we’ll get there as our business evolves and the sustainability sector matures.