Questions about sustainability are more important than ever before, especially in the fashion industry. Therefore, haute couture and prêt-à-porter brands must adopt ESG criteria and engage in economically sustainable practices. Gucci's sustainability strategy, Gucci Equilibrium, exemplifies how luxury and designer brands can integrate sustainability into their operations.

First, let's briefly review what the Gucci Equilibrium is and what it encompasses. In short, the Gucci Equilibrium is the Italian fashion house's sustainability strategy and commitment to the environment and people.

Gucci strives to promote lasting, positive environmental and social change, embracing its ESG strategy as part of its corporate identity. The luxury brand's commitment to sustainable practices dates back to 2015 when it announced a 10-year "Culture of Purpose" sustainability strategy with various objectives to be achieved by 2025. Gucci has implemented various measures that positively impact the planet and people in and outside its value chain, which we will examine more closely below.

One aspect of Gucci's commitment to sustainability focuses on people. Values such as diversity, equity, and inclusivity drive the organization's operations. Gucci aims to create a workplace that fosters equality and values the individuality of each person, giving them the opportunity to flourish by being their unique selves. Additionally, the Italian fashion house pledges to support one another and recognize differences as strengths by respecting and celebrating each other. Thus, Gucci aims to create an environment in which everyone can share their voice while simultaneously creating a workplace enriched by different backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and identities. In 2019, the fashion house established its first Global Equity Board to strengthen its commitment to these goals.

Gucci has also shared its four main principles that guide its people-related initiatives. First, they strive to create an inclusive workplace that supports employees and encourages communication, understanding, and empathy. Secondly, they are working to increase diversity in leadership and are committed to monitoring and closing the gender pay gap. Lastly, the organization aims to create more opportunities for people with disabilities. To embrace these objectives fully, all company departments have implemented the Gucci Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy at every stage of the enterprise's resource lifecycle.

In 2023, Gucci became the first Italian luxury house to voluntarily receive the Gender Parity Certification, created by the Italian government's National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The audit process was based on six indicators: governance; culture and strategy; opportunities for women's growth and inclusion; human resource processes; gender pay equity; and parenting support and work-life balance.

Additionally, Gucci launched various initiatives to educate employees on topics such as inclusivity. In 2021, for instance, the company introduced a Global D&I Digital Training Program to promote awareness of unconscious bias and encourage inclusivity. Since then, the program has become part of the digital onboarding process for all new hires. Furthermore, first-time managers are encouraged to participate in a learning journey that eases their transition from individual contributor to team leader. From 2020 to 2024, 1,539 managers in the corporate and retail divisions gained a deeper understanding of inclusive and values-based leadership.

In addition, Gucci started an Accessibility Campaign to raise awareness and reduce stigma surrounding disabilities. Originally, in 2024, the campaign focused on different types of disabilities and how colleagues can show support. In 2025, the campaign prioritizes implementing a more inclusive digital environment.

Additionally, the Italian fashion house has launched several initiatives. For instance, Gucci has started offering psychological support and coaching to promote employee well-being. In 2021, Gucci Italy partnered with an online counseling service that offered Italian employees five free sessions. The company is working to raise awareness about financial education and other issues to empower women.

Another notable Gucci project is Gucci Changemakers. The Gucci Changemakers Volunteering Program was launched in 2019 to foster unity and create a positive social impact within communities and the fashion industry. The Gucci Changemakers Volunteering Program allows Gucci employees to take four paid days off each year to volunteer in local communities. Employees can choose any nonprofit organization with which they identify, as long as it aligns with the program's four pillars: fostering education, supporting health and well-being, promoting social justice, and protecting the environment. Nearly 3,500 employees contributed over 5,800 significant volunteer actions around the world in 2024 as a result of this program.

Additionally, there are two initiatives: Gucci Changemakers London and Gucci Changemakers North America. Gucci Changemakers London is a multi-year program intended to have a positive impact on London's fashion and creative industries. The program includes scholarships to support students pursuing careers in fashion. Gucci Changemakers North America, on the other hand, prioritizes fostering inclusion and diversity in the fashion industry and beyond. It encompasses three initiatives aimed at promoting expression and growth. First, there is an impact fund meant to support non-profit organizations that use art and culture to facilitate positive change. Therefore, up to $25,000 is granted and distributed each year across various Changemaker cities. Initiatives marked by diverse leadership and those focused on culture, heritage, education, and environmental sustainability are the main recipients. The program also offers one-year scholarships of up to $20,000 to undergraduate students with creative academic backgrounds. This underlines Gucci's intent to promote inclusivity and accessibility in the fashion industry and support emerging talent. Lastly, the program includes the Creative Fellows initiative, which supports emerging creative and social impact leaders in fulfilling their innovative projects by fostering experimentation and community engagement to drive social change.

Moreover, in 2013, the House started the Gucci Chime for Change initiative with Salma Hayek Pinault and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. The campaign aims to bring together people working to promote gender equality and strengthen their efforts. To date, the program has raised more than $19 million to support various projects around the world. For this initiative, Gucci partners with various associations, including Equality Now, the Global Fund for Women, and UN Women.

In addition to people, the Gucci Equilibrium initiative focuses on the environment. Therefore, the Italian fashion house embraces circularity to create pieces with an extended lifespan. The company emphasizes that its position in the luxury market naturally fosters circularity, as its craftsmanship produces high-quality, distinctive, and long-lasting items. To ensure the durability of its products, Gucci conducts various tests and provides repair services and product care to encourage the long-term use of its distinctive designs. Furthermore, Gucci has transformed its value chain — from material sourcing to production processes — to become more sustainable. The main objective is to minimize waste and pollution while promoting durability, reuse, recycling, and a second life. Therefore, the company takes measures at the beginning of its supply chain when sourcing raw materials. By making use of recycling and upcycling, Gucci reduces its need for resources, allowing it to be more efficient during manufacturing, mitigate waste, and ultimately reduce pollution. One example of this is the Off the Grid collection, which uses ECONYL^®, a regenerative nylon made from pre- and post-consumer waste, such as discarded fishing nets, and other recycled materials, including recycled polyester thread and chrome-free tanned leather.

In 2023, the company launched the "Circular Hub," the first hub for circular luxury in Italy, to redefine the industry's business model value chain. The Circular Hub is an open platform for creating circular items and prospecting new, innovative solutions. One example of the cutting-edge outcomes is the "Denim Evolution" fabric, which has advantages such as enhanced durability and end-of-life recyclability. Besides, each item has a digital product passport that allows customers to trace the product's journey from raw material sourcing to manufacturing and production. This increases transparency by providing information about the product itself and offering advice on product care and potential repair services. In 2024, the organization expanded the hub's capacity and support systems, building on previous initiatives and searching for new opportunities.

The fashion house also adheres to its Manufacturing Restricted Substance List, which identifies hazardous chemicals.

Furthermore, the company utilizes renewable energy and invests in regenerative farming projects. In 2020, Gucci began this initiative by changing its sourcing strategy to include regenerative silk, cotton, and wool. Regenerative agriculture offers many benefits, including improved water quality, soil health, animal welfare, and biodiversity. Additionally, it strengthens farming communities. In recent years, Gucci has partnered with various initiatives to improve agricultural practices and revitalize local supply chains. For instance, in 2022, Gucci began collaborating with the Nido di Seta farm in Calabria, southern Italy, to restore the area's traditional mulberry tree cultivation, essential for raising silkworms. The initiative also aims to source silk for future collections. Since the project began, cocoon production has increased due to the use of new machinery.

On top of that, Gucci launched Gucci-Up in 2018. This initiative reduces waste by upcycling leftover fabric and leather, which are then used in the supply chain or sold on the market. Leftover fabric and leather are also donated to NGOs and social cooperatives in Italy. Since 2018, the fashion house has gathered 1,227 tons of leather scraps and recovered 1,932 tons.

Gucci also launched Gucci Scrap-Less, another endeavor aimed at reducing its leather manufacturing footprint. By adopting new methods, Gucci realized its potential to operate more sustainably. These methods resulted in less hide waste, as well as reduced energy, water, and chemical usage. This was achieved by cutting the hides to the exact size needed before tanning them.

Moreover, the company tries to extend the lifespan of its products as much as possible. One way to do so is by giving them a second life. To this end, Gucci partnered with the vintage platform The RealReal in 2020 and Vestiaire Collective in 2023 to ensure its distinctive, timeless pieces are worn and loved for as long as possible.
Lastly, Gucci has teamed up with several partners to drive positive change, become more circular, and operate more sustainably. Therefore, the Italian fashion house has also become a strategic partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a pioneer in the circular economy.

Overall, it's clear that Gucci has taken significant steps toward becoming more sustainable in terms of people and the environment. The Italian fashion house promotes diversity and individuality to support its employees and foster a workplace that inspires growth. The organization also promotes craftsmanship and aims to have a positive social impact, as demonstrated by the Gucci Changemakers initiative.

On the other hand, Gucci is searching for ways to become more environmentally friendly. Thus, the company has implemented several initiatives. For example, Gucci is implementing new operations to reduce waste, scaling up circular processes, and developing sustainable sourcing methods. Additionally, Gucci uses Environmental Profit and Loss (EP&L) accounting to understand its impact at every stage of the value chain and share these insights with stakeholders.