Nature

Why It Matters

As an apparel brand, our products and operations rely on nature—from the raw materials we source, to the manufacturing and distribution of our products. As we grow, our impact on nature increases, particularly through land use and water consumption.

What We’re Doing

We are continuing to develop our approach, to deepen our focus on nature. To guide this work, we have conducted an initial nature impact assessment to help us identify and prioritize potential impacts within our supply chain and frame our nature approach.

As we work to further map our impact on nature, we continue to prioritize raw materials, focusing on traceability, preferred materials^{11 We consider materials to be preferred when their production processes have the potential to minimize impacts on areas like climate, nature, or communities, compared to the conventional equivalents, and/or when they align with independent third-party certifications, schemes, or standards. Where applicable, we use the Textile Exchange 2023 definition of preferred materials to guide the continued development of our framework for evaluating materials. We regularly assess the attributes for preferred materials and evolve our definition as needed.} (including certifications), and regenerative agriculture^{22 While this term lacks a universally accepted standard, we align with Conservation International's definition: "Regeneration is about restoring and revitalizing nature hand in hand with local communities—especially through the way we steward and manage land. It starts with collaboration: listening to and co-creating the vision of local communities, assessing the environmental, social, and economic context of the land and making decisions together."}. In manufacturing, we continue to focus on climate, water efficiency initiatives, water quality (through our wastewater program), and chemicals management.

Land

Raw material sourcing can impact land use and affect deforestation, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. To help mitigate these effects, we work with preferred material programs and collaborate with partners to implement regenerative agriculture practices.

• We look for opportunities to advance industry research, such as co-sponsoring Textile Exchange's Regenerative Agriculture Outcome Framework, which aims to help the fashion, textile, and apparel industry align on outcomes for assessing the holistic benefits of regenerative agriculture.
• We work to further adopt preferred cotton^{33 Organic cotton (Organic Content Standard, Global Organic Textile Standard) or cotton through the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol or other recognized cotton sourcing programs.} platforms in our portfolio, including initiatives that provide greater traceability. See Circular Innovation for more details.
• We made an initial charitable contribution to a regenerative cotton project with Conservation International. This project, based in the Peruvian Amazon, focuses on supporting cotton farmers in transitioning to regenerative practices and reforesting degraded land.^{44 We align with Conservation International’s approach to restoration through repairing ecosystems that sequester carbon and support wildlife as well as human wellbeing.}
• We are taking steps to trace where and how key forest-based materials are sourced, and use third-party certifications where possible. See our Forestry Statement for more details.

Water

To date, our water initiatives have focused primarily on manufacturing. This is because the textile industry uses large quantities of freshwater for production processes such as fabric dyeing and garment washing. Our primary focus areas include water use data gathered through the Higg Facility Environmental Module (HIGG FEM) as well as water quality and efficiency with facilities with more than 15m³ of industrial wastewater.

• Through a water and biodiversity risk assessment we conducted with WWF, an international conservation organization, we identified potential impacts related to water usage and quality in key manufacturing regions.
• We work to align to industry tools and standards, e.g., the ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) Foundation’s ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) and Wastewater Guidelines, as an input to our supplier-specific approach to water management. This approach prioritizes water initiatives with suppliers based on production volume, facility water use, and alignment with our sourcing strategy.

Microfibers

We continue to engage with industry associations, including The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) and ZDHC to advance our understanding of the root causes of microfiber release and potential measures to mitigate release to the environment, helping us stay aligned with evolving science and best practices.

Chemistry

Our chemicals management program focuses on improving chemical management practices throughout the supply chain.

• Suppliers must comply with the lululemon Restricted Substances List (RSL), which is based on worldwide regulatory standards, and the Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management (AFIRM) Group RSL. The lululemon RSL is regularly monitored and updated to incorporate changes in manufacturing chemistry, government regulations, industry best practices, and scientific knowledge.
• Part of our nature-focused work supports supplier engagement with the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL). This framework provides tools for companies and suppliers to identify and manage chemicals used in the manufacturing process.^{55 We ask suppliers to share test results with lululemon through ZDHC ClearStream reports. ZDHC ClearStream is a report of a supplier's wastewater performance, as tested against the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines.}

Restricted Substances List

Climate

Our approach centers on addressing our impact and supporting collective action for industry-wide change. Our near-term 2030 science-based climate targets are validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).^{66 The SBTi is a corporate climate action organization that develops standards, tools, and guidance which allow companies to set GHG emissions reduction targets in line with what is needed to keep global heating below catastrophic levels and reach net-zero by 2050 at latest. Our 2030 Scope 1, 2, and 3 climate targets were approved by the SBTi in 2020 and re-approved in 2024 alongside our 2050 net-zero target.} See Climate Action for more details.

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