LS&Co. Unzipped

Welcome to our blog. Here’s where you’ll find a “behind-the-seams” look at what’s going on with Levi Strauss & Co. You’ll hear from a variety of voices, from both inside and outside the company. And you have the chance to share your thoughts. So read on — and weigh in!

Aug 31 2010

Setting the Record Straight

Whether you read it in a newspaper or get it from someone “in the know,” you never really know if you have the best information unless you get it from the source.

Otherwise, it’s like that game, “Telephone,” where one person tells another, who tells another and, in the end, the facts are lost.

With this in mind, we want to set the record straight regarding our position on the sourcing of fuel from the Canadian oil sands by our transportation contractors:

While Levi Strauss & Co. supports the development and use of clean and renewable fuel sources, we have not taken a position opposing or supporting any fuel or energy source from Canada, including any boycott of the Canadian oil sands.

Those are the facts.

As a company, Levi Strauss & Co. remains committed to environmental sustainability. We are working to improve our energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions across our business, including our transportation and logistics.
 
And when it comes to how our transportation contractors source their fuel, we expect them to demonstrate a similar commitment to environmental sustainability and emissions reduction. So, we’ve included this in our contracts with transportation providers, but how they achieve emissions reductions or where they source their fuel is entirely up to them.

You can read more about what we are doing to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions here.

There are a lot of opinions circulating about the Canadian oil sands, but we trust our position is now clear.

Posted By: Anna Walker, Senior Manager, LS&Co. Government Affairs & Public Policy

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Tags: Energy,Levi Strauss & Co.,LS&Co,News,Public Policy,Sustainability

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Greg Rietze (not verified) - Dec 20 2011
It really amazes me when companies like LS & Co. support and never say anything about countries like Suadi, Iran and other oil producing nations that treat their people like animals. Then when you have a friend like Canada and you walk all over our citizens and our resources. Wake up please its a no brainer. My advice to you sell jeans stay the hell out of politics.

david maclean (not verified) - Aug 31 2010

Perhaps you could clarify the nature of your involvement with "Forest Ethics" and how it came to be that you were associated with an anti-oil sands boycott?

Editor's note: Thanks for your question. I spoke with our sustainability team to find out the facts. Over the last year, ForestEthics has made several inquiries regarding our environmental policies, and we've responded -- as we do when we receive such requests from a variety of organizations. What we shared with ForestEthics is our stated goal of asking our suppliers to help us reduce our carbon footprint. We also told ForestEthics that we do not dictate how our suppliers achieve that goal.

Assuming you are the same David Maclean that works at Alberta Enterprise Group, as you may know, we've had recent conversations with the head of your organization on this topic, and we're happy to continue the dialogue.

Arlene Erfle (not verified) - Aug 31 2010

It took awhile for the media to convince some Americans that boycotting french fries had no effect on the French government's international policies. American manufacturers need to realize that the REAL environmental concern is green house gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels, such as gasoline and really has nothing to do with where the gasoline originates. If you prefer to buy you oil from the Gulf, the emissions from the tankers will far exceed any that would be produced by getting here. |You will in fact be doing more harm.) Next time check your facts before you fly off into a tizzy.....

Editor's note: Thanks for your comment, Arlene. At Levi Strauss & Co., we recognize that more than 10 percent of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions stem from the transportation sector. That's why we're working with our contract carriers to ensure they support our initiatives for efficient transportation management, such as clean truck and rail programs, and establish a link between sustainable practices and cost reduction. We expect our carriers to manage their busineses with a focus on reducing their GHG emissions.

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