LORENZO BERTELLI
CREDIT: BRIGETTE LACOMBE
SUSTAINABILITY
LORENZO BERTELLI
TITLE: CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER AND HEAD OF CSR
COMPANY: PRADA GROUP INDUSTRY: FASHION
Lorenzo was appointed Marketing Director of the Prada Group in 2019 and took on Head of Corporate Social Responsibility in 2020. Former CEO Patrizio Bertelli has confirmed Lorenzo will take on the role of CEO in the future.
A significant portion of emissions arises at the Tier 4 raw material stage, particularly with cotton. The Unlock Program, developed by The Fashion Pact and sustainability consultancy 2050, is incentivising cotton farmers to adopt regenerative and low climate-impact practices as a result.
The system addresses critical barriers including upfront investment costs, information gaps and the absence of immediate financial rewards for transitioning to better farming methods.
The programme tracks progress across multiple areas including GHG emissions, farmer livelihoods, biodiversity, soil health and water use. It then collaborates with existing agricultural initiatives to boost measurement and farmer support.
In 2024, pilots in India and the US demonstrated notable progress: the programme achieved carbon reduction results of 200-600kg per hectare in India and 950kg of removals alongside 2,000kg of reductions per hectare in the US.
Having enrolled more than 10,000 farmers in 2024, it is poised to scale further, promising emissions reductions of at least 10,000 tonnes and € 1.2m( US $ 1.3m) in direct payments to farmers – contingent on replicating pilot success.
manufacturingdigital. com
127