Fashion
Levi’s launches LEAP to cut emissions in India supply chain
LEAP will offer suppliers the best available pricing, terms, and return on investment to enable renewable energy procurement. This comes at a time when there is a significant opportunity to increase awareness and technical capacity with Indian suppliers as they navigate the diverse and evolving renewable electricity landscape. The program will be shared with the company’s textile and apparel manufacturing suppliers in India, including in-depth training modules, financial analysis, and access to Schneider Electric’s advisory services.
“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,” said Jeffrey Hogue, chief sustainability officer at LS&Co. “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.”
Levi Strauss & Co and Schneider Electric launched the LS&Co Energy Accelerator Program (LEAP) in India to expand renewable electricity in the supply chain.
The initiative supports LS&Co’s 42 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030.
LEAP provides suppliers with training, financial analysis, and access to advisory services to adopt scalable clean energy solutions.
For the first stage of LEAP, LS&Co. will support textile and apparel manufacturing suppliers in India to transition to renewable electricity, with a goal of later expanding the program to other business partners and geographies. Suppliers that join 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).
“I am happy to learn that Levi Strauss & Co. has taken steps to increase access to renewable electricity for their supply chain,” said Shri Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. “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 LS&Co., on more than 1.3 TWh of aggregated renewable electricity procurement across supply chain programs managed on behalf of clients in multiple markets. LS&Co. was a participant alongside four other companies in the first multi-buyer power purchase agreement (PPA) cohort for Walmart’s Gigaton PPA program in the US, managed by Schneider Electric, which will serve as a model for any group PPAs developed through LEAP.
“At Schneider Electric, we believe that accelerating the transition to renewable energy across global supply chains is essential to achieving meaningful climate impact. We’re proud to partner with Levi Strauss & Co. on the LEAP initiative, which exemplifies how companies can lead with purpose and scale proven solutions to empower their suppliers,” said Steve Wilhite, President, Schneider Electric Sustainability Business. “By combining our deep expertise in renewable energy advisory with LS&Co.’s bold sustainability vision, we’re helping unlock new opportunities for cleaner energy in India and beyond.”
“As India embarks on an ambitious journey towards a greener, more resilient future, it’s inspiring to see global brands like Levi Strauss & Co. embracing this shift and empowering their supply chains to adopt renewable energy. At Schneider Electric, we are proud to support this transition through Levi Strauss & Co. Energy Accelerator Program (LEAP), combining our expertise with a shared purpose to accelerate decarbonisation, foster industrial innovation, and build a sustainable India for generations to come.” – Deepak Sharma, Zone President – Greater India & MD & CEO, Schneider Electric India
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (MS)
With sustainability benchmarks rising, companies are rethinking how they produce and deliver, pivoting toward greener, more circular models that reduce waste, emissions, and resource use.
The stakes are high. In 2025, Vietnam’s exports to the EU reportedly reached $56.2 billion, up 10.1 per cent year on year, underscoring how pivotal Europe is for the country’s manufacturing base.
Vietnam’s textile and footwear exporters are accelerating sustainability efforts as stricter EU regulations reshape market access requirements.
Rising compliance pressure from measures such as CBAM and ESPR is pushing manufacturers toward circular production, cleaner technologies and greater supply-chain transparency, though limited green finance remains a major challenge for smaller firms.
The EU market, nevertheless, comes with its own challenges as access to this market increasingly depends on meeting strict environmental and product-design requirements.
The EU is rolling out an ambitious sustainability agenda, including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). Together, these measures are changing what global suppliers must document, design, and decarbonise.
ESPR shifts expectations toward durability, repairability, and recyclability, while pushing manufacturers to reduce products’ overall environmental footprint. Supply chains are also expected to become more transparent through Digital Product Passports, and practices such as destroying unsold goods being phased out gradually.
For Vietnam’s exporters, compliance is becoming a baseline requirement to keep EU orders and remain competitive.
Recognising this, both the Government and industry players are stepping up. Vietnam’s long-term development strategy for textiles and footwear, which stretches to 2030 with a vision toward 2035, places sustainability at its core. The plan charts a path toward efficient, environmentally responsible growth anchored in a circular economy, where materials are reused, waste is minimised, and production cycles are closed rather than linear.
Crucially, it also provides a legal backbone to help businesses align with global sustainability trends.
On the ground, change is already underway. Textile and apparel manufacturers are investing in renewable energy, upgrading machinery, and fine-tuning production processes to cut emissions and resource use. These shifts are not just about compliance; they are about future-proofing operations in a market where green credentials increasingly determine who wins contracts.
However, the transition has not been entirely seamless. A key barrier seems to be access to green finance, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Large firms can more readily fund clean technologies and certification, while smaller suppliers often struggle to fund the shift, risking exclusion from high-value export markets if they cannot keep pace.
There is also a growing recognition that policy support needs to go further. As Vietnam leans into a circular economy, industry voices are calling for a more cohesive and comprehensive framework, one that not only sets clear standards for circular products but also actively incentivises recycling, cleaner production, and sustainable innovation.
Without this, progress risks being uneven, with smaller firms left behind.
Momentum is, nevertheless, building as manufacturers and policymakers push for better-aligned standards and support mechanisms. The goal is to narrow the gap between sustainability ambition and day-to-day implementation across the sector.
The aim is clear: create an ecosystem where businesses of all sizes can invest in circular solutions, strengthen their export capabilities, and meet the EU’s exacting standards head-on.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DR)
The increase was driven primarily by higher reinvested earnings and intra-company loans, indicating continued engagement by existing investors with Bangladesh.
Reinvested earnings rose by 318.25 per cent, from $103.79 million in 2024 to $434.10 million in 2025, while intra-company loans increased by 25.68 per cent, from $621.96 million to $781.68 million.
Bangladesh’s net FDI inflows increased by 39.36 per cent last year to $1,770.42 million compared with $1,270.39 million in 2024, the Bangladesh Bank said.
The increase was driven primarily by higher reinvested earnings and intra-company loans.
Reinvested earnings rose by 318.25 per cent, from $103.79 million in 2024 to $434.10 million in 2025, while intra-company loans rose by 25.68 per cent.
Equity capital remained broadly stable, rising by 1.84 per cent, from $544.64 million to $554.64 million in 2025, a release from Bangladesh Investment Development Authority said.
Greenfield project announcements declined by 16 per cent in 2025.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
EU green mandates and the Vietnam T&A industry
After provinces, Centre lifts austerity-driven business-hour curbs until May 31
Vietnam’s flat apparel exports hide the real trade signal
-
Entertainment5 days agoConan O’Brien hat tricks as Oscar host
-
Tech1 week agoCould Contact-Tracing Apps Help With the Hantavirus? Not Really
-
Tech1 week agoI Tried the Best Captioning Smart Glasses, and Only One Leads the Pack
-
Fashion5 days agoItaly’s Zegna Group’s Q1 growth boosted by strong organic performance
-
Sports1 week agoBobby Cox, legendary Atlanta Braves manager who led 1995 World Series champions, dead at 84
-
Entertainment1 week agoMartin Short: Facing tragedy with joy
-
Entertainment1 week agoTom Brady gets back at Kevin Hart during Netflix roast
-
Entertainment1 week agoMartha Stewart: How to make an omelet