How Prada Blew Past Its Own Climate Target Two Years Ahead of Schedule

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The Prada Group’s 2025 Sustainability Report reveals a 76 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, near-complete renewable electricity coverage, major advances in material traceability, and a formalized water stewardship program — here’s what the numbers actually mean.

Most people who buy a Prada bag don’t spend much time thinking about where the leather came from, what the nylon is made of, or how much carbon went into producing it. Prada, which has been thinking about all of those things with escalating precision since 2019. Its 2025 Sustainability Report, published in March, came alongside the news that the Group closed the year with €5.7 billion in net revenues, twenty consecutive quarters of growth, and the acquisition of Versace — its most significant portfolio expansion in decades.

The environmental results are the most striking section. In 2021, the Group submitted to the Science Based Targets initiative a commitment to reduce combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 29.4 percent by 2026 compared to its 2019 baseline. By the end of 2025, it had already achieved a 76 percent reduction, exceeding the near-term goal two years ahead of schedule. That performance comes primarily from a near-complete shift to certified renewable electricity — 97 percent of electricity purchased globally now carries guarantees of origin or International Renewable Energy Certificates — and a natural gas phase-out plan across its 25 owned industrial facilities, 23 of which are in Italy, which has cut gas consumption there by 64 percent. The Group’s 24 photovoltaic plants generated over 7,000 MWh of renewable electricity last year; 70 percent was consumed on-site. The corporate fleet is 94 percent low-emission, one percentage point short of the 2026 goal of 95 percent.

“By investing in responsible practices, materials, and processes, we aim to foster innovation, strengthen brand equity, and build deeper, more trust-based relationships with our audiences,” Andrea Guerra, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, said in the report.

The harder numbers

The part of the report that requires more work to parse — and more work by the company to move — is Scope 3: the emissions generated upstream through raw material sourcing, supplier operations, and logistics. These account for 98 percent of the Group’s total carbon footprint, and within that category, raw material procurement alone drives 83 percent. Leather represents 41 percent of total materials sourced by weight, and the farming, slaughter, and tanning phases involved in producing it are among fashion’s most carbon- and water-intensive operations.

In 2025, 63 percent of nylon and polyester was sourced from recycled or bio-based alternatives, up from 37 percent in 2022; 62 percent of cotton carried at least one organic or recycled certification; and 76 percent of wool met a lower-impact standard, against a target of 80 percent by 2026. Leather traceability reached 90 percent back to the slaughter stage, with full farm-level traceability for cotton and wool targeted by 2028. The Group also formalized a water stewardship program in 2025 — its first — establishing goals aligned with Alliance for Water Stewardship standards across its owned production sites.

The Re-Nylon program, which started in 2019 as a bag capsule made from ECONYL yarn regenerated from ocean-collected plastic, fishing nets, and textile fiber waste, has since expanded into ready-to-wear, accessories, and footwear; the material can be recycled indefinitely without quality loss, and production scraps are returned to Aquafil, the Italian yarn supplier, and re-fed into the production system. At Miu Miu, the Upcycled program produced its most particular iteration yet — a collaboration with costume and production designer Catherine Martin that transformed authentic vintage garments into one-of-a-kind pieces. One hundred percent of textile fiber waste generated at Italian production sites was diverted from disposal last year.

“Our journey is built on continuity,” Lorenzo Bertelli, the Group’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, said in the report. “At the same time, we recognize that to remain relevant we must evolve. As industry advances and expectations change, we are introducing new projects and refining our focus, both for the sector and for our specific business model.”

The people chapter

Forty-five percent of top and senior management positions at the Group are held by women; 91 percent of its 15,490 employees, spanning 120 nationalities, hold permanent contracts. This year, Prada S.p.A. received Italy’s Gender Equality Certification (UNI/PdR 125:2022), following a multi-phase audit covering pay equity, parental protection, and career development. “Integrating equity in how we work, support talent and build our culture is essential to creating strong, responsible organizations ready for the future,” Rosa Santamaria Maurizio, the Group’s Chief People Officer, said in the report. The Prada Group Academy, which trains approximately 80 young people annually in artisanal manufacturing techniques, turned 25. In Venice, through the Group’s SEA BEYOND partnership with UNESCO, the first Ocean Literacy Centre opened its doors.

“The results achieved in 2025 mark twenty consecutive quarters of growth for the Group, a solid performance underpinned by brand desirability, rigorous execution and a strong organization,” Geurra said. “With change as the only constant, the ability to continuously evolve
will be essential to successful execution, enabled by placing our people at the very heart of the Group.”

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