Ralph Lauren Resets Sustainability Plan After Dropping Net-Zero Target

Nearly six months after announcing it was dropping its target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, Ralph Lauren has unveiled its new sustainability strategy.

The plan focuses on nearer-term, measurable commitments spanning supply chain decarbonisation, materials sourcing and worker wellbeing. Under the new framework, the company said it will cut absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, i.e. operational and supply chain emissions, by 30 percent from a 2020 baseline by 2030; expand the use of regenerative and recycled cotton to 30 percent of its global volume, and ensure 85 percent of its products are designed according to circular principles by 2031.

The strategy notably does not include long-term decarbonisation targets.

Ralph Lauren dropped its 2040 net-zero target in October, arguing long-term goals did not drive sufficient accountability. The move placed the company among a growing cohort of brands, including Asos and Under Armour, revisiting climate commitments set in the wake of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Since then, tighter standards from bodies like the Science Based Targets initiative, adopted as a standard by multiple brands across the industry, alongside emerging regulation in key markets like the EU, and shifting economic conditions have exposed gaps between ambition and execution.

While companies increasingly frame such shifts as a move toward more “credible” action, the changes can also result in climate goals being scaled back. the updated plan is a mix of newly introduced goals and previously formalised commitments, some of which had already been set with 2030 timelines. However, it stops short of outlining a more ambitious emissions target for the remainder of the decade.

The American label said its new strategy builds on progress already made, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering water use and meeting at least one sustainable material criteria in 99 percent of units produced.

The company said it intends to introduce a new 2035 target in the coming years, as improved data and infrastructure allow for more precise goal-setting.

Learn more:

Ralph Lauren Drops Net-Zero Emissions Target

The company said it would focus instead on more concrete, near-term goals to deliver measurable results and drive accountability. It has already achieved its current emissions-reduction target for 2030.