Environment

At Levi Strauss & Co. we aim to build sustainability into everything we do so that our profitable growth helps restore the environment. No matter how ground-breaking or comprehensive our policies and programs might be, our environmental sustainability vision is not achievable without collaboration. We believe that sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. Thus, we press for government leadership on environmental standards and green innovation, and we partner with key external stakeholders to advance environmental policymaking.

To that end, we advocate for responsible climate change and water policies in the United States and worldwide and we play a leadership role in key organizations where we can share ideas and influence others to change. Below are examples of our public policy efforts in the environmental arena.

Climate policy

Businesses and the economy need effective government leadership and a regulatory environment that promotes energy efficiency, encourages energy and climate innovation and reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions. We are a founding member of Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP), whose goal is to work directly with key allies in the business community and with members of the U.S. Congress to pass meaningful energy and climate change legislation that is consistent with our core principles. As part of BICEP, we continue to advocate on Capitol Hill and with the Obama Administration for comprehensive U.S. climate and energy legislation. Our other recent climate change policy efforts include:

• No on 23 Campaign. Levi Strauss & Co. was one of the first California-based multinational companies to join the campaign against the California ballot initiative (Proposition 23) to overturn California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32), which set California’s 2020 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets into law.
• Oxfam America Sisters on the Planet. In October 2009, Levi Strauss &Co. joined the Oxfam America Sisters on the Planet to lobby members of the U.S. Congress and Obama Administration to argue for U.S. Government funding to build greater resilience to the effects of climate change in developing countries. We also supported Oxfam’s work at the Copenhagen Climate Summit in December 2009. In October 2009, LS&Co. presented written testimony at a Senate hearing supporting the call for climate adaptation funding.
• World Wildlife Fund Open Letter to the U.S. Senate. In September 2009, Levi Strauss & Co. joined with eleven other major U.S. companies in signing the World Wildlife Fund-organized letter to the U.S. Senate calling for swift action on comprehensive energy and climate legislation.
• Copenhagen Communiqué. Levi Strauss & Co. joined with more than 750 companies from around the world to sign the Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change. The Communiqué argues for an ambitious, robust, effective and equitable UN strategy for responding to global climate change and offers a progressive global consensus on the shape of an agreement.
• Renewable energy tax incentives. In 2008, we joined with other World Resources Institute (WRI) Green Power Group companies in advocating for continuing the renewable energy tax incentives.
• Support for 2008 climate change legislation. In June 2008, together with other U.S. companies and environmental nongovernmental organizations, Levi Strauss & Co. added its name to an open letter to the U.S. Senate supporting passage of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act (SB 3036).

Renewable energy tax incentives

In 2008, we joined forces with more than a dozen other California-based companies to advocate for the renewal of tax incentives for renewable energy through the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Green Power Group — California Affiliates. Our efforts included meeting with the Capitol Hill staff of the key Senators voting on legislation; contributing to a joint advertisement in Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper; and sending a letter to the California delegation in the House of Representatives supporting congressional action. These tax incentives passed Congress and were signed by the President in October 2008.

Water scarcity and availability

We are a founding member of the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate, a unique public-private initiative launched in July 2007. The CEO Water Mandate assists companies in the development, implementation and disclosure of water sustainability policies and practices. On the eve of the G-8 Japan summit in July 2008, we joined other signatories in calling on the world’s most powerful nations to actively address the issue of water scarcity and availability. Earlier, we lobbied for robust funding for the Water for the Poor Act, to make access to clean water and sanitation a central aim of U.S. foreign aid.