OTB fast tracks Energy Saving: additional measures to cut consumption, boost efficiency and raise energy self-sufficiency

• Starting from Europe, since the spring the Group has been implementing a series of measures in its offices and more than 400 stores worldwide to achieve estimated annual savings of 4,600,000 kWh 

• Key measures in stores include window-display lights turned off at night, a 1 °C temperature reduction in heated premises during the winter and a 1 °C increase in air-conditioned premises in summer 

• The Group, which is targeting 100 % renewable energy use in its direct operations by 2025, currently covers 43 % of its electricity requirement for internal operations from renewable, partly self-generated, sources, thanks to the move towards cleaner sources started in 2020 

Breganze, 11 November 2022 – OTB, the international fashion and luxury group that includes the Diesel, Jil Sander, Maison Margiela, Marni and Viktor&Rolf brands and the Staff International and Brave Kid companies, has introduced new measures to boost energy efficiency in its stores and offices around the world, in line with the reduction of its environmental footprint under the Group sustainability strategy “Be Responsible. Be Brave”. The measures, which OTB has been rolling out since the spring starting in Europe, will generate an estimated annual saving of 4,600,000 kWh, equivalent to the average annual consumption of about 1,470 households or the CO2 absorbed by 140,000 trees. 

In addition to ensuring compliance with energy laws and regulations in the countries in which Group stores are present – including the UK, Germany and Spain – the consumption-cutting plan envisages measures such as limiting use of air blades installed in entrances to reduce indoor/outdoor heat dispersion in favour of keeping doors closed where possible; a 1 °C temperature reduction in heated premises in the winter and a 1 °C temperature increase in air-conditioned premises in the summer; window-display lighting turned off between 10 pm and 7 am, and installation of presence sensors to turn lights on and off in rooms used by staff.  

A series of initiatives have also been planned, and in many cases already implemented, for the Group's more than 30 offices and warehouses to cut energy consumption in buildings. For example, cleaning services, usually operational in the evening, have been changed to coincide, in many cases, with office staff working hours, in order to reduce use of artificial lighting; indoor temperatures have been reduced by 1°C in winter and increased by 1°C in summer; and a campaign has been launched throughout the organisation to raise awareness about energy saving and encourage virtuous individual behaviour, such as turning off computers and office lights when not in use. 

The Group also recently approved new solar panel installations for an overall power of more than one Megawatt, which will bring an additional greenhouse gas reduction equivalent to the CO2 absorbed by 36,000 trees. The expanded use of photovoltaic arrays on the available surfaces of the roofs of the headquarters of OTB, Staff International and Brave Kid will further increase the Group’s energy self-sufficiency as early as next year. In some buildings, self-generated power will account for 55 % of energy use.   

Protection of the planet and development of a new and more sustainable fashion system are the cornerstones of OTB operations, driving all corporate decisions. Greater attention to energy saving is part of a broader approach being taken by the Group, in the knowledge that better energy management helps respect the planet, eliminate waste, cut costs and improve its carbon footprint. 

“There is a close link between energy use and protection of the environment, which is why corporate actions to encourage energy saving play an important role in climate change,” said OTB Group founder and Chairman Renzo Rosso. “It is vital that every business, from the smallest to the largest, and all their employees, actively work to find the most effective practices and tools to reduce their consumption. This is why at the beginning of 2022 we decided to set up an ad hoc inhouse team to supervise energy consumption and develop special solutions. Even with small changes, all of us can and must contribute to making a difference. These initiatives follow those introduced in the last few months to encourage car-sharing among colleagues”.