In an innovative collaboration, Positive Luxury has joined forces with AI-driven ESG platform BRIINK to streamline sustainability reporting and analysis for luxury brands. This collaboration promises to redefine how luxury companies integrate ESG practices, paving the way for a more sustainable future in an industry worth $1.5 trillion globally.
“Our mission is to shape a sustainable future for luxury, and leveraging technology is a way to fast-track efforts—not just ours, but those of our clients,” says Positive Luxury CEO Amy Nelson-Bennett. She explains that the partnership aligns seamlessly with the organisation’s four core beliefs: high standards, transparency, driving change, and luxury leading by example.
Central to the partnership is integrating BRIINK’s AI platform into the Butterfly Mark certification process. This innovation enables Positive Luxury to automate laborious workflows, such as gathering and verifying up to 800 pieces of ESG evidence per client.
“AI drastically reduces the administrative burden, making the process more efficient,” says Nelson-Bennett. “This frees up our team to focus on strategic, transformative work—helping brands build climate-resilient practices and sustainable supply chains.”
The luxury sector, with its reliance on uncommoditised supply chains and natural materials, faces unique sustainability challenges. Limited resources and skills among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) exacerbate the issue. By adopting AI, Positive Luxury aims to bridge this gap, enabling brands to identify risks, create mitigation plans, and accelerate meaningful change.
BRIINK CEO Tomas van der Heijden underscores the importance of this collaboration: “Positive Luxury exemplifies what it means to lead with transparency and excellence in sustainability. Our AI tools are designed to support organisations certifying sustainability disclosures, ensuring quality and integrity while empowering their experts to focus on impactful work.”
For Nelson-Bennett, the transformative potential of this partnership lies in its scalability and inclusivity. “Luxury has around 150 major players, but it’s also composed of countless SMEs. Many lack the resources needed to adopt robust ESG practices. This partnership addresses that resource gap, bringing meaningful change across the entire value chain.”
Feedback from Positive Luxury’s network of Real Changemakers has been overwhelmingly positive, with brands keen to see how AI can enhance their certification journeys. “Ironically, no one had really thought of it before we discovered BRIINK by chance. The only concern raised has been about data security, which BRIINK has addressed with excellent standards,” Nelson-Bennett adds.
While the Butterfly Mark itself remains unchanged, AI integration makes earning it faster and more efficient. This ensures brands that disclose ESG data are rewarded with a smoother certification process, encouraging greater transparency across the industry.
The partnership between Positive Luxury and BRIINK aims to modernise ESG assessments, setting a new industry benchmark. “The assessment process has historically been manual. Automating these workflows not only eases the burden on brands but also ensures high standards—helping raise the bar for certification across the luxury sector,” Nelson-Bennett explains.
Looking ahead, transparency will play an even greater role in Positive Luxury’s updated assessment framework, set to launch in 2025. The Connected Butterfly Mark, a digital brand passport, already drives openness among over 100 participating brands. This tool highlights how credible claims and accessible information resonate with increasingly discerning consumers.
“We hope this collaboration sends a strong message: luxury brands making credible and transparent changes are the ones deserving of consumer loyalty,” says Nelson-Bennett.
As the demand for robust ESG data grows, the partnership between Positive Luxury and BRIINK represents a timely evolution. By combining Positive Luxury’s deep expertise in sustainability with BRIINK’s cutting-edge AI technology, the collaboration promises to deliver actionable insights and scalable solutions for luxury brands worldwide.
Nelson-Bennett summarises: “This is about driving real change. It’s exciting to think about how we’re helping the industry evolve and modernise, not only meeting challenges but leading the charge for a more sustainable future.”
For luxury brands navigating an era of heightened scrutiny and responsibility, this partnership signals a powerful shift—where innovation meets purpose, and technology powers transformation.
