Contextual Water Targets

Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) has transitioned from a uniform water reduction approach to 'contextual water targets' that align water use goals with the specific stress levels of the basins where its suppliers operate. Using tools like the WWF Water Risk Filter, LS&Co. categorizes tier one and tier two suppliers into low, medium, and high-stress areas, assigning more aggressive absolute water use targets to those in high-stress regions. This strategy, integrated into its Water<Less® program, aims to reduce water use in high-stress manufacturing areas by 50% by 2025 and focuses on total facility water use rather than just product-specific consumption.

• Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) has adopted contextual water targets, which are defined by WWF as targets that respond to the specific water challenges of a basin. This approach replaces a "one-size fits all" strategy with variable targets based on local water stress levels for key manufacturing suppliers, covering over 80% of garment and fabric volume.
• LS&Co. has set a specific goal to reduce water consumption in manufacturing by 50% by the year 2025 in areas identified as having high water stress.
• To implement these targets, LS&Co. used the WWF Water Risk Filter and other datasets to categorize tier one and tier two suppliers. Suppliers in low- and medium-stress areas are given progressive efficiency targets, while those in high-stress areas are assigned aggressive, absolute water use targets.
• The company's Water<Less® program, launched in 2011, has achieved water consumption reductions of up to 96% for some products. As of 2018, over 67% of products were made using Water<Less® techniques or at facilities meeting the company's water Recycle and Reuse Standard.
• LS&Co. is shifting its monitoring from the product level to the facility level, focusing on the total water used by a supplier regardless of the brands they produce for. Additionally, the company is collaborating with WWF, Earth Genome, and Arizona State University to map ground and surface water in Pakistan's Ravi River Basin to inform local solutions.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). Contextual Water Targets. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/470/cd5hsb9j9_LSCo._Brief___one_pager___111119_v2.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Contextual Water Targets. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/470/cd5hsb9j9_LSCo._Brief___one_pager___111119_v2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Contextual Water Targets |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/470/cd5hsb9j9_LSCo._Brief___one_pager___111119_v2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndcontextual, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Contextual Water Targets}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/470/cd5hsb9j9_LSCo._Brief___one_pager___111119_v2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }