Kering: Water Conservation for the Arno Basin
For the luxury industry, water is both a means of production and a location factor. With the Water Resilience Lab in the Arno Basin, Kering, Conservation International, and Etifor therefore aim to work beyond the scope of individual factories. The public launch took place on November 2, 2026, in Florence. The focus is on joint measures to combat drought, flooding, and pollution.
Why the Arno Basin Matters
Tuscany is home to major manufacturing centers in the industry: tanneries around Santa Croce sull’Arno, textile mills, and the goldsmithing center in Arezzo. They share water resources with agriculture, cities, and tourism. A company can reduce its own water consumption; however, whether a river basin has sufficient water flow and can mitigate flooding also depends on the soils, forests, wetlands, and land use throughout the entire watershed.
The Lab is designed as a collaborative platform. Public agencies, companies, academia, and financial stakeholders are to jointly assess risks and finance projects. The event at the Palazzo Medici Riccardi is part of the commemoration of the Florence flood 60 years ago. It marks the public launch of an initiative whose technical groundwork began as early as 2025.
Six Areas, Specific Actions
The first project group includes Villa Petriolo, Ombrone/Bisenzio, Altopascio with Lake Sibolla, Pisa and the Era Basin, Usciana/Pescia, as well as Arezzo and the Chiana Valley. Etifor and the DAGRI Institute at the University of Florence have examined the hydrological, ecological, and economic relationships involved.
The proposed measures include the restoration of wetlands and forests, vegetation restoration along the Pescia River, and retention areas in the Prato-Pistoia region. These measures are intended to keep water in the landscape longer and limit peak runoff. Etifor estimates the storage potential analyzed at 34 million cubic meters per year. This is an estimated potential, not a project outcome that has already been achieved.
From Site Project to Corporate Strategy
The Arno Lab is the first of ten planned labs in prioritized watersheds. Kering is linking this initiative to its water strategy published in 2025: The goal is to achieve measurable positive net impacts in key regions by 2035 and at the corporate level by 2050. For the jewelry and luxury goods industry, the regional approach is particularly relevant because suppliers to several brands rely on the same water system.
Whether the model is effective will be determined by the measures implemented and the changes measured on a regular basis. Kering’s current project outline and Etifor’s explanation describe the planned path forward.
