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LVMH

OVERALL

Owned
FRA
Rating
Criticisms

Luxury goods

World's largest luxury goods company. Wines and spirits, perfumes, cosmetics, fashion and leather goods, watches and jewellery, plus a retail division. Chairman Bernard Arnault and his family, through Groupe Arnault, own about 47% of LVMH.

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA   FRA     website   email   facebook   twitter

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA
Environment CDP Forests Score of B
In 2020, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts towards removing commodity-driven deforestation and forest degradation from its direct operations and supply chains. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Forests Score of B.
Source: CDP (2020)
Environment CDP Climate Change Score of B
In 2020, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of B.
Source: CDP (2020)
Social CDP Water Security Score of B
In 2020, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to manage and govern freshwater resources. Responding companies are scored on six key metrics: transparency; governance & strategy; measuring & monitoring; risk assessment; targets & goals; and value chain engagement. This company received a CDP Water Security Score of B.
Source: CDP (2020)
Social 14/100 in KnowTheChain Benchmark
In 2018 KnowTheChain benchmarked 120 large global companies in the ICT, Food & Beverage, and Apparel & Footwear sectors on their efforts to address forced labour and human trafficking in their supply chains. This company received a score of 14/100.
Source: KnowTheChain (2018)
Social Cotton sourcing (Rank a Brand)
In 2016 Rank a Brand assessed 37 major cotton-using companies on their commitment and performance with regard to sustainable cotton by looking at each company's cotton sourcing policies, use of sustainable cotton, and traceability. This company scored 0.75/19.5, making it one of the weakest performing companies.
Source: Rank a Brand (2016)
Social Human Rights Benchmark
The 2019 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark assessed 200 of the largest publicly traded companies in the world from the Agricultural Products, Apparel, Extractives and ICT Manufacturing sectors on 100 human rights indicators. This company's score was in the 10-20 band range. The overall average score was a disappointing 24%.
Source: CHRB (2019)
Animals Animal Testing
A number of this company's fragrance and cosmetics brands appear on PETA's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, USA) 'Companies That Do Test On Animals' list, signifying that they manufacture products that are tested on animals at some stage of development.
Source: PETA (2020)
Animals Use of exotic skins
LVMH is being pressured by PETA to end its use of animal skins after an expose of crocodile farms in Vietnam. "PETA is calling on LVMH to stop supporting the torment and killing of ostriches, crocodiles, and other beautiful wild animals for bags, watchbands, and shoes."
Source: PETA (2019)
Environment 37% in Forest 500 Rankings
The Forest 500 identifies, ranks, and tracks the governments, companies and financial institutions worldwide that together could virtually eradicate tropical deforestation. Rankings are based on their public policies and commitments and potential impacts on tropical forests in the context of forest risk commodities (palm oil, soy, beef, leather, timber and paper). This company received a score of 37%.
Source: Forest 500 (2020)
Environment Microbeads scorecard
In 2016 Greenpeace East Asia ranked the world's 30 biggest personal care companies on their commitment to eliminating microbeads from their personal care products. The scorecard was based on four main criteria: commitment & transparency, definition, deadline and global application. This company ranked towards the bottom of the scorecard. Microbeads are not retained by wastewater treatment and end up in the ocean where they are a threat to the marine environment.
Source: Greenpeace (2016)
Environment Irresponsible fabric sourcing
In 2015 the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) released a report documenting the results of decades of irresponsible fabric sourcing including land grabbing, forest destruction and human rights abuse to forest-dependent communities caused by deforestation from tree-based fabric production companies. This company was one of the "Fashion Fifteen" implicated in the report for irresponsibly sourcing tree-based fabrics such as rayon and viscose.
Source: RAN (2015)
Animals Use of fur
Several brands owned by this company are listed on the Humane Society website as designers who still use fur. Namely Fendi, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs.
Source: Humane Society (2019)
Business Ethics Tax avoidance
This company scores Ethical Consumer's worst rating for the likely use of tax avoidance strategies, and has at least two high risk subsidiaries in tax havens.
Source: Ethical Consumer (2018)
Business Ethics Tax fraud penalty
In 2019 LVMH subsidiary Sephora paid out US$159,349 to the State of Indiana in order to settle a dispute over tax fraud. The retailer stood accused of making false statements regarding its failure to collect gross retail taxes on shipping and handling fees for online sales to shoppers based in the state, in violation of the Indiana False Claims Act.
Source: The Indiana Lawyer (2019)
Business Ethics 37/100 S&P Global ESG Score
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 37/100 in the Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods category of the 2019 SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices. The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2019)
Environment No Detox commitment
Greenpeace launched their Detox Campaign in 2011 to expose the direct links between global clothing brands, their suppliers and toxic water pollution around the world. As a result, many companies have joined Greenpeace's Detox Program, which requires companies to adopt a credible, individual and public commitment to phase out the use and release of all toxic chemicals from their global supply chain and products, by 1 January 2020. This company is yet to make a commitment despite pressure from Greenpeace.
Source: Greenpeace (2016)
Business Ethics Price fixing in France
In Jan 2012 a Paris appeals court upheld a 40 million euro fine imposed in 2006 by the French competition watchdog, which said the companies involved had reached illicit agreements on price fixing, enforced by procedures to monitor prices in outlets and backed up by commercial threats for non-compliance. Thirteen leading perfume and luxury goods companies were fined.
Source: news article (2012)
Environment Trust Mark approved brands
This company owns brands which have been awarded Positive Luxury's Trust Mark. To be accredited brands are assessed in the following areas: philanthropy, environmental, social, innovation, community and governance.
Source: Positive Luxury (2015)
Business Ethics Guidance member
This company is a member of Guidance, a pre-competitive global initiative, convened by Quantis, which aims to provide a methodological guide with credible references that companies can use to account for the climate change impacts of their efforts on sustainable forests and agriculture in an accurate and credible manner.
Source: Quantis (2016)
Business Ethics Sustainable Apparel Coalition member
This company is a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, a multi-stakeholder initiative launched in March 2011 by a group of global apparel and footwear companies and non-profit organizations (representing nearly one third of the global market share for apparel and footwear). The Coalition's goals are to reduce the apparel industry's environmental and social impact, and to develop a universal index to measure environmental and social performance of apparel products.
Source: Sustainable Apparel Coalition (2020)
Business Ethics Better Cotton Initiative member
This company is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, a voluntary initiative which encourages the adoption of better management practices in cotton cultivation to achieve measurable reductions in key environmental impacts, while improving social and economic benefits for cotton farmers, small and large, worldwide.
Source: Better Cotton Initiative (2019)
Business Ethics Textile Exchange member
This company is a member of the Textile Exchange, a global non-profit that works closely with its members to drive textile industry transformation in preferred fibres, integrity and standards and responsible supply networks. They identify and share best practices regarding farming, materials, processing, traceability and product end-of-life in order to reduce the textile industry's impact on the world's water, soil and air, and the human population.
Source: Textile Exchange (2019)
Business Ethics Leather Working Group member
This company is a member of the Leather Working Group, a multi-stakeholder group who's objective is to develop and maintain a protocol that assesses the compliance and environmental performance of tanners and promotes sustainable and appropriate environmental business practices within the leather industry.
Source: Leather Working Group (2019)
Business Ethics Responsible Mica Initiative member
This company is a member of the Responsible Mica Initiative, a Do-Tank which aims to eradicate child labour and unacceptable working conditions in the Indian mica supply chain by joining forces across industries.
Source: Responsible Mica Initiative (2020)
Business Ethics Sedex member
This company is a member of the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex), a not-for-profit, membership organisation that leads work with buyers and suppliers to deliver improvements in responsible and ethical business practices in global supply chains. Tens of thousands of companies use Sedex to manage their performance around labour rights, health & safety, the environment and business ethics.
Source: Sedex (2018)
Business Ethics 59.0% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017
This company received a score of 59/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
Source: Newsweek (2017)
Business Ethics 26/100 in Fashion Transparency Index
The 2020 Fashion Transparency Index reviewed 250 of the world's largest fashion brands and retailers and ranked them according to how much they disclose about their social and environmental policies, practices and impacts. Brands owned by this company scored 26%, signifying it is doing a bit more than the others when it comes to having policies and commitments in place and auditing and reporting activities, but could be doing more. The average score was 23% and the highest score was 73%.
Source: Fashion Revolution (2020)
Business Ethics 'C+' grade in WWF Deeper Luxury report
In 2007 WWF-UK analysed and ranked the 10 largest publicly-traded luxury brand-owners on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. (Listed under information due to age of report)
Source: WWF UK (2007)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Public company
Founded 1987
Revenue 53.7 billion euros in 2019
Employees 145,247 in 2018
Subsidiaries Christian Dior SA 

Luxury goods

Bernard Arnault (the world's 7th richest person in 2009) is chairman of both LVMH and Christian Dior. In 2017 he consolidated control over Dior, folding it into LVMH.


Moet Hennessy (66% owned) 

Alcoholic beverages

Part of LVMH


  - Moet Hennessy Australia Pty Ltd 

Alcoholic beverages


Bulgari SpA 

Luxury goods

One of the world's largest watch and jewellery companies. Controlled by descendents of silversmith and founder Sotirio Bulgari. Acquired by LVMH in 2011.


Tiffany & Co 

Luxury goods, especially jewellery

Founded in 1837 in Brooklyn, USA. Known for its diamond and sterling silver jewelry. Acquired by French luxury giant LVMH in 2021 for US$15.8 billion.


BeneFit Cosmetics LLC 

Cosmetics

Founded in 1976 in San Francisco by twin sisters Jean and Jane Ford. LVMH bought a 70% stake in 1999, and later bought the remaining 30%.


Stella McCartney Ltd (10% owned) 

Vegan fashion house

Stella McCartney is an English fashion designer, and the daughter of Paul and Linda McCartney. After 17 years of co-ownership with Kering (formerly Gucci Group and PPR), Stella McCartney bought back the 50 per cent of her business in 2018.


LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics Group Pty Ltd 

Fragrance and cosmetic products

Importer and distributor of luxury fragrances and cosmetic products with a distributing base in Sydney. Brands are Christian Dior, Guerlain, Kenzo, Givenchy, Fendi and Benefit.


L Catterton Management Ltd (40% owned) 

Private equity firm

In 2016 LVMH merged its private equity arm with American private equity company Catterton to create L Catterton.


  - L Catterton Asia 

Private equity firm

Part owned by luxury goods giant LVMH. Owns majority stakes in three Australian clothing companies, 2XU, Seafolly and RM Williams.

Contact Details

Address Paris, France
Website www.lvmh.com

Products / Brands

LVMH
Acqua di Parma Fragrances
Fendi Luxury Brands
Givenchy Luxury Brands
Kenzo Luxury Brands
Louis Vitton Luxury Brands
Marc Jacobs Luxury Brands
Sephora Cosmetics

Christian Dior
Dior Cosmetics
Dior Luxury Brands

Moet Hennessy Australia
Belvedere Vodka
Glenmorangie Scotch Whisky
Hennessy Cognac

Bulgari
Bulgari Luxury Brands
Bvlgari Fragrances

Tiffany & Co
Tiffany Luxury Brands

Stella McCartney (10% owned)
Stella McCartney Luxury Brands

LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics Australia
Benefit Cosmetics
Fendi Fragrances
Givenchy Fragrances
Guerlain Cosmetics
Guerlain Fragrances
Kenzo Fragrances


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