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Levi's, Marks & Spencer launch a collaborative effort to get fashion suppliers on renewable energy. The Fashion Renewable Collaborative aims to help fashion suppliers transition to renewable energy, a key way to decarbonize the entire industry. When it comes to making the fashion industry more sustainable, there's only so much a brand can change about its own actions. Around 70% of the industry's total emissions come from upstream activities in supply chains, like fiber and fabric production. That means for fashion brands to really meet their climate goals, they have to help their suppliers become more sustainable, too. Now, Levi Strauss & Co. and Marks & Spencer are launching an effort to do just that, called the Fashion Renewable Collaborative. The program, in partnership with Schneider Electric's SE Advisory Services, aims to get multiple brands on board to help fashion suppliers switch to renewable energy - a key step to decarbonizing the apparel sector. Shared supply chains. The Fashion Renewable Collaborative is similar to a program Levi's launched itself last year, called Levi Energy Accelerator Program, or LEAP. Also in partnership with Schneider Electric, LEAP focused on helping the brand's garment manufacturers in India learn about and access resources for renewable energy procurement. Levi's soon learned that British retailer Marks & Spencer was doing something similar through a program called Re: Spark. That sparked a realization for Jennifer DuBuisson, Levi's senior director of sustainability. "We can each continue to keep doing this on our own, but at the end of the day, we have shared supply chains," she says. "Suppliers are already facing such fragmentation from different brands."

Levi Strauss & Co. and Marks & Spencer launch the Fashion Renewable Collaborative to turn climate commitments into renewable electricity action. GlobeNewswire Published Sep 22, 2026 * Supported by Schneider Electric's SE Advisory Services, the FRC Will Help Provide Fashion Industry Suppliers with Resources to Adopt Renewable Electricity NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Levi Strauss & Co. and Marks & Spencer (M&S), in partnership with SE Advisory Services, Schneider Electric's global consulting practice, today launched the Fashion Renewable Collaborative ("FRC") and are inviting fashion brands across the industry to join the effort. Announced at New York Climate Week, the FRC is designed to help interested suppliers adopt renewable electricity at scale through coordinated brand engagement and practical implementation support. By modeling a shared approach to supplier engagement, the collaborative aims to facilitate renewable electricity adoption across global fashion supply chains and help manufacturers understand, access and implement renewable electricity solutions at scale. The launch comes as fashion brands seek new ways to translate their individual climate commitments into measurable, durable emissions reductions across complex global supply chains. While many companies have established ambitious climate goals, supplier adoption of renewable electricity remains a critical challenge due to market barriers, limited resources, fragmented engagement efforts, and differing requests from multiple customers. The opportunity is significant: textile processing, the fabric mills and dye houses at the heart of global fashion supply chains, accounts for more than half of the apparel industry's emissions, according to the Apparel Impact Institute, making supplier adoption of renewable electricity one of the fastest and most scalable paths to progress. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The FRC was established to address this challenge through a comprehensive framework that can reduce the burden on interested suppliers while accelerating impact across the fashion industry. According to the Roadmap to Net Zero from the World Resources Institute and the Apparel Impact Institute, shifting manufacturing to renewable electricity is the single largest decarbonization lever, representing roughly two-thirds of the sector's identified emissions-reduction potential. Katharine Beacham, Head of Sustainability and Materials in Fashion, Home & Beauty at M&S, said: "At M&S, we know that real change happens when we collaborate. Through our sustainability programme, Plan A, we're committed to becoming a net zero business across our value chain by 2040, and that means working with others to make the transition to renewable electricity easier for our supply partners. Building on the work already underway through Re:Spark, our supply chain decarbonisation programme, the Fashion Renewable Collaborative will provide practical support, resources and greater access to renewable electricity, helping suppliers take action and facilitating change in the fashion supply chain." The FRC is one of the first fashion industry initiatives focused on providing real renewable electricity solutions. Unlike programs primarily focused on commitments or a roadmap, the FRC gives suppliers the opportunity to access the tools, knowledge and support to accelerate their energy transition. This includes digital education, powered by Resource Advisor+, SE Advisory Services AI-native energy and sustainability intelligence platform, market guidance, and significant support in assessing and procuring renewable electricity. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The FRC is built around a structured implementation model that helps suppliers first learn and then execute through digital education modules. Participating brands benefit from a common approach, while suppliers gain access to support designed to reduce complexity and improve access to credible renewable electricity solutions, including power purchase agreements (PPAs), energy attribute certificates (EACs), on-site and distributed renewable generation, energy storage, and other proven procurement and deployment pathways. The Potential of Coordinated Support At New York Climate Week and beyond, the Fashion Renewable Collaborative is inviting additional fashion brands to join as sponsors and members to broaden the reach and impact of renewable electricity education, resources, and support among participating suppliers. "It's become abundantly clear that the most effective way forward on emissions reduction is working in partnership with suppliers," said Jennifer DuBuisson, Senior Director, Sustainability, Levi Strauss & Co. "Initiatives like this create better working relationships and a more effective path forward. The Fashion Renewable Collaborative enables greater support of suppliers that want to access or would like to increase use of renewable electricity but haven't been able to so far, helping facilitate adoption while reducing unnecessary duplication. It's a natural extension of work we've already been doing with our own suppliers, and we're glad to bring that experience into this effort with M&S and SE Advisory Services." The FRC initiative builds on successful engagement efforts already underway. Together, the two programs registered nearly 500 supplier facilities, demonstrating growing interest among suppliers seeking practical pathways to decarbonization. The FRC is supported by SE Advisory Services, which will serve as the program's global implementation partner. Schneider Electric brings extensive experience in designing and managing large-scale supply chain decarbonization programs, including more than 20 active initiatives globally involving over 3,100 supplier companies and 16 multi-buyer renewable energy cohorts. As a global energy technology leader, Schneider Electric combines deep energy markets expertise, digital platforms, and on-the-ground implementation support to help suppliers move from commitment to execution. "Many fashion brands have made their individual commitments. Now the focus must be on helping suppliers deliver against them," said Steve Wilhite, Executive Vice President, SE Advisory Services. "The Fashion Renewable Collaborative is designed to provide suppliers with practical support and engagement that can help accelerate renewable electricity adoption at scale. We're excited to support Levi Strauss & Co. and M&S, and future participating brands as they work together to drive meaningful supply chain decarbonization." The FRC will leverage SE Advisory Services' Resource Advisor+ for Supply Chain product to support supplier onboarding, engagement tracking, readiness assessments, and progress monitoring. Together, these capabilities help create a consistent, digitally scalable experience for both brands and suppliers. By participating, brands can directly support suppliers' ability and desire to adopt renewable electricity while reducing supplier fatigue, expand renewable electricity access, and helping brands achieve their individual supply chain decarbonization goals. About Marks & Spencer Marks & Spencer ("M&S") is a leading British retailer with a strong presence across the UK and in 32 international markets. M&S serves 32 million customers every year with exceptional quality products at value they can trust. Behind M&S is over 63,000 colleagues who bring passion and expertise to everything they do. For more than 140 years, M&S has built trust by doing the right thing by its colleagues, customers and the communities. Underpinning this commitment is Plan A - M&S' sustainability programme - a promise to always source and make products with care. Plan A is also an integral enabler of M&S' strategy to reshape for sustainable, profitable growth and to become a net zero business across its value chain by 2040. Quick Picks About Levi Strauss & Co. Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) is one of the world's largest brand-name apparel companies and a global leader in jeanswear. The company designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi's(R), Levi Strauss Signature(TM), and Beyond Yoga(R) brands. Its products are sold in approximately 120 countries worldwide through a combination of chain retailers, department stores, online sites, and a global footprint of approximately 3,300 retail stores and shop-in-shops. Levi Strauss & Co.'s reported 2025 net revenues were $6.3 billion. For more information, go to http://levistrauss.com, and for financial news and announcements go to http://investors.levistrauss.com. About Schneider Electric Schneider Electric is a global energy technology leader, driving efficiency and sustainability by electrifying, automating, and digitalizing industries, businesses, and homes. Its technologies enable buildings, data centers, factories, infrastructure, and grids to operate as open, interconnected ecosystems, enhancing performance, resilience, and sustainability. The portfolio includes intelligent devices, software-defined architectures, AI-powered systems, digital services, and expert advisory. With 160,000 employees and 1 million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric is consistently ranked among the world's most sustainable companies.

Fashion professional returns to university to tackle sustainability and lands lecturer job. A fashion professional who returned to university in his early thirties to tackle the industry's environmental impact has completed his PhD and joined Bucks New University as a lecturer. Dr Gurpreet Singh, 36, already had an established career in the global fashion industry when he decided to return to university in 2021, driven by a desire to help address the industry's pressing sustainability challenges. Over the past five years he has completed his doctorate, published eight research papers, presented his work at international conferences and built research partnerships with leading fashion organisations across 13 countries. Recent research from McKinsey reveals that around two-thirds of fashion brands are falling behind on their decarbonisation targets, while 40% have seen emissions rise despite making public pledges. Singh's PhD has developed a framework called 'Sustainability Intelligence', designed to help fashion businesses embed sustainability into organisational learning, innovation and wider systemic change. Mariella Noto, Academia and Multilateral Partnerships Director at ZDHC Foundation, said: "The Sustainability Intelligence framework developed by Dr Gurpreet Singh has the potential to be a game changer - enabling smarter, more holistic sustainability decision-making and accelerating the transformation of the fashion industry." Stefano Aldighieri, former President of Another Design Studio 2.0 and former Design Director at Levi Strauss & Co., said: "I had the pleasure of engaging with Singh's work and contributing to a subject I am passionate about and which is increasingly relevant. His novel approach combines creativity with environmental, social and financial considerations, exactly the kind of thinking needed to address today's complex challenges. "Working in the industry made me conscious that sustainability could not be addressed through products and technology alone and I realised I need to adapt as the industry evolved," said Singh. "The fashion world is changing rapidly, particularly around sustainability and AI. Returning to University allowed me to combine my practical industry experience with rigorous academic research. You never stop learning." Dr Anahita Malek, Head of Graduate School and Associate Professor of Creative Industries at Bucks New University, added: "Singh is a fantastic example of how returning to university can open up a brand-new career path. He brought years of hands-on industry insight to Bucks, transformed it into meaningful research and we are thrilled to welcome him to the teaching team." Now combining research, teaching and industry engagement at Bucks, Singh hopes his journey will encourage other professionals to consider returning to higher education, regardless of where they are in their careers.