Fashion brand and retailer Levi’s has launched its LS&Co Energy Accelerator Programme (LEAP) in India to help suppliers in the country access renewable energy.
By creating this initiative, the company hopes to support both its own sustainability ambitions and those of its suppliers. Working alongside Schneider Electric, Levi’s said it wants to match the supply of renewable electricity in India to the demand of suppliers who want to decrease emissions and increase their own resiliency.
Specifically, the programme is aligned to support Levi’s near-term supply chain emission reduction target of 42% by 2030 (from a 2022 baseline year) as part of its long-term journey to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
LEAP promises to offer suppliers the best available pricing, terms, and return on investment to enable renewable energy procurement. The initiative will be shared with Levi’s textile and apparel manufacturing suppliers in India, including in-depth training modules, financial analysis, and access to the advisory services of Schneider Electric, which is regularly ranked a supply chain sustainability leader by Gartner and the analyst community.
Jeffrey Hogue, chief sustainability officer at Levi’s, said: “We are committed to incentivising renewable energy in our supply chain and know our path to our near-term supply chain emissions reduction target is through proven, scalable solutions that fit each supplier.
“Between Schneider Electric’s expertise and the robust network of renewable electricity opportunities available in India, we’re now in a position to better support our suppliers in their own sustainability strategies – and to deliver on ours.”
The goal is to later expand the programme to other business partners and geographies.
Suppliers joining LEAP will also have the opportunity to explore individual purchase opportunities, such as on-site solar or certificate purchasing, or join a multi-buyer cohort for a power purchase agreement (PPA).
Shri Santosh Kumar Sarangi, India’s renewable energy minister, commented: “I am happy to learn that Levi’s has taken steps to increase access to renewable electricity for their supply chain.
“I welcome this initiative, and this shows that businesses can benefit from clearer and more accessible renewable energy opportunities.”
Schneider Electric has advised companies, including Levi’s on more than 1.3 TWh of aggregated renewable electricity procurement across supply chain programmes managed on behalf of clients in multiple markets.
Levi’s participated – alongside four other companies – in the first multi-buyer PPA cohort for Walmart’s Gigaton programme in the the US, managed by Schneider Electric. This provides a template for LEAP as it goes to market.
Steve Wilhite, president for the Schneider Electric sustainability business, said: “We believe that accelerating the transition to renewable energy across global supply chains is essential to achieving meaningful climate impact.”
He added that LEAP exemplifies how companies “can lead with purpose” as well as “scale proven solutions to empower their suppliers”.
[image credit: Green Retail World]
