How legitimate are the environmental sustainability claims of luxury conglomerates?

Abstract

PurposeBy responding to scholarly calls, this study examines the environmental reports of LVMH and Kering. The study extends legitimacy theory to ascertain the credibility of the aforementioned luxury conglomerates' commitment to environmental sustainability.Design/methodology/approachA corpus-assisted discourse analysis centred upon the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines is used to examine the environmental disclosures of LVMH and Kering.FindingsThe findings show inconsistencies due to the lack of brand-level reporting and reporting quality falls short of comparable sustainability reporting within each conglomerate and with one another. Selective and unbalanced reporting along with symbolic management undermines the legitimacy of sustainability efforts by LVMH and Kering.Originality/valueDespite the increased attention paid to sustainable luxury, few studies critically analyse how luxury brands formally report on sustainability.