L’Oréal releases update on its sustainability drive
The report, released alongside Earth Day, focuses on L’Oréal’s efforts in regard to sustainability innovation and to fighting climate change.
“In 2017, we have once again shown that economic success and environmental performance go hand in hand,” says Alexandra Palt, the Group’s Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer.
“We want to show that responsible growth is not just possible but necessary, and that sustainability shapes a desirable future for everyone.”
The full report can be accessed here.
Sustainability: central focus
In the recent few years, sustainability has risen to the very top of the beauty and personal care industry’s agenda, with issues like supply chain transparency and traceability now a central focus.
Indeed, at last week’s in-cosmetics Global trade show, sustainability was a core part of the educational offering, with its Sustainability Corner showcasing presentations from ingredients suppliers and manufacturers, academics and researchers, packaging players and more.
L’Oréal’s sustainability commitment for 2020 “Sharing Beauty With All” sets out ambitious sustainable development objectives across the Group’s value chain, and this latest report suggests the international beauty leader is making good headway with its targets.
Low carbon performance & innovative measurement tool
In 2017, L’Oréal reduced by 73% the carbon emissions of its plants and distribution centres in absolute terms, compared to 2005, while increasing its production volume by 33% in the same period.
In addition, by the end of 2017, 24 of the Group’s industrial sites achieved carbon neutrality.
This exceptional result was recognised by CDP. In 2017, for the second year running, L’Oréal was one of two companies worldwide – and the only French business – among more than 3,000 companies evaluated, to receive three ‘As’, the best possible score, in CDP’s ratings on three major issues:
fighting climate change,
managing water scarcity
and tackling deforestation.
Alongside this in 2017, L’Oréal implemented its Sustainable Product Optimisation Tool (SPOT) across all its brands.
SPOT is the first of its kind in the beauty industry, the company asserts. It’s a tool used to measure all the environmental as well as social impacts of a cosmetic product and to identify avenues for improvement.
SPOT was used to evaluate 100% of new or renovated products in 2017 and 76% of the products launched in 2017 have been improved. More on SPOT is available here.
