Levi's and SE Advisory Say Fashion's Biggest Climate Win Lies in Supplier Power

Jennifer DuBuisson and Dave Rimkus explain why mills and dye houses need one shared route to renewable electricity. Ask where fashion's emissions come from, and the answer is mostly the factories.  Mills, dye houses and finishing units use large amounts of energy to turn fibre into fabric. 

For Jennifer DuBuisson, Senior Director of Sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co., and Dave Rimkus, Head of Global Supply Chain Decarbonisation at Schneider Electric's SE Advisory Services, that is where change must begin.

In an interview with Sustainability Magazine, the two shared the thinking behind the Fashion Renewable Collaborative (FRC). Levi's and Marks & Spencer co-founded it, with SE Advisory Services as global implementation partner, and launched it during New York Climate Week in September 2026.

Factories Hold the Key

Textile processing produces more than half of the clothing industry's emissions. Switching that work to renewable electricity makes up about two-thirds of the sector's known potential to cut emissions, according to the World Resources Institute and the Apparel Impact Institute.

“The challenge isn't supplier willingness; it's complexity and economics.”

– Jennifer DuBuisson, Levi Strauss & Co. (Source: (Source: Sustainability Magazine)

In other words, suppliers want to act. What holds them back is a mix of confusing energy markets, limited money to invest and rules that change from one country to the next.

What Levi's Learned in India

Levi's tested its approach through the Levi's Energy Accelerator Program (LEAP), launched in India in September 2025 with Schneider Electric. Nearly 50 suppliers signed up in the first year. For DuBuisson, the lesson was clear. When the process becomes easier, demand follows.

The company sees the programme as a long-term commitment. At LEAP's launch, Chief Sustainability Officer Jeffrey Hogue said, 

“We are committed to incentivizing renewable energy in our supply chain.” 

(Source: Levi Strauss & Co.)

The programme also showed that every location has its own hurdles. Suppliers need advice that fits their region, support in their own language and a choice of routes to clean power.

Why One Request Beats Ten

Rimkus sees the same pattern across the industry. A single mill may work for several brands, and each brand sends its own climate targets, surveys and reporting forms. 

Speaking to Retail Brew, he described the FRC as a way to spare suppliers from “having 5–10 different customers walking through that sustainable journey” separately.

Instead, the FRC gives suppliers one shared set of support.

• Online training on renewable energy options
• Guidance on how local energy markets work
• Practical help with buying clean power, from rooftop solar and green tariffs to energy certificates and power purchase agreements

Rimkus adds that pooling demand can open up renewable deals that smaller suppliers could never sign alone. Levi's LEAP and M&S's RE:Spark programme have already registered nearly 500 facilities between them. At the FRC launch, DuBuisson told FashionUnited, 

“The most effective way forward on emissions reduction is working in partnership with suppliers.” 

(Source: FashionUnited)

Water, Wardrobes and Repair Skills

Levi's wider plan covers climate, consumption and community. By 2030, the company aims to cut water use across its manufacturing supply chain by 15% and to recycle or reuse 40% of the water used in manufacturing.

DuBuisson also gives shoppers a role. She notes that only 59% of young people can sew on a button, patch a hole or take up a hem, compared with 79% of older generations. Levi's Wear Longer Project teaches these skills and has reached nearly 90,000 students. Her advice is to buy pieces that last, look after them and repair them when needed.

The Greenest Garment Is the One You Keep

At TuDuGu, we welcome every effort that brings clean power to India's textile suppliers, and LEAP shows the will is already there. Yet the interview ends where handmade fashion has always begun. Much of the handloom weaving and hand block printing we champion relies on human skill rather than heavy machinery. 

A well-made garment, worn and mended for years, will always do more good than a new one bought in a hurry.