Image credit: Levi's

Levi's

Rated: It's a start

price: $$$$

location: United States

Levi's has good policies to manage water use in its supply chain but is not taking adequate steps to ensure payment of a living wage for its workers.

Levi's sustainability rating

Planet

4 out of 5

People

3 out of 5

Animals

2 out of 5

Overall rating: It's a start

Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (We avoid) to 5 (Great) How we rate


Our “Planet” rating evaluates brands based on the environmental policies in their supply chains, from carbon emissions and wastewater to business models and product circularity. Here we rate Levi's “Good”. These are a few factors influencing its score:

  • It uses some lower-impact materials including organic cotton.
  • It’s set a science based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in both its direct operations and supply chain, and it claims it’s on track.
  • It has met its Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Group (ZDHC) target to eliminate hazardous chemicals from most of its supply chain.
  • It implements water reduction initiatives throughout its supply chain.

Workers’ rights are central to our “People” rating, which assess brands’ policies and practices on everything from child labour to living wages and gender equality. Here we rate Levi's “It's a Start”. These are a few factors influencing its score:

  • Little of its supply chain is certified by crucial labour standards that help ensure worker health and safety, living wages, and other rights.
  • It received a score of 51-60% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index.
  • It has a comprehensive policy to support diversity and inclusion in its direct operations but not in its supply chain.
  • There’s no evidence it ensures workers are paid living wages in its supply chain.
  • During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it disclosed adequate policies to protect workers in its supply chain from the virus.

Brands’ animal welfare policies and, where applicable, how well they trace their animal-derived products are the focus of our “Animals” rating. Here we rate Levi's “Not Good Enough”. These are a few factors influencing its score:

  • It has a formal policy aligned with the Five Freedoms of animal welfare but few clear implementation mechanisms in place.
  • It appears to use leather.
  • It has a policy to source wool from non-mulesed sheep but doesn’t provide any evidence to verify its claims.
  • Responsible Down Standard certifies the down it uses.
  • It doesn’t appear to use fur, angora, exotic animal skin, or exotic animal hair.
  • It traces some animal-derived materials to the first production stage.

Based on all publicly available information we’ve reviewed, we rate Levi's “It's a Start” overall.

Last updated February 2024