L’Oréal continues to put the planet first and its new set of goals for 2030 have sustainability front of mind. Titled under its ‘L’Oréal for the future’ program, the brand has announced how it will continue to evolve in the interest of the environment and greater inclusion.
Some major goals announced include the promise that by 2025 all of L’Oréal’s sites will have achieved carbon neutrality by improving energy efficiency and using 100 per cent renewable energy. By 2030 L’Oréal also hope to have 100 per cent recycled or bio-based product packaging, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent from 2016, across the board.
It is also allocating €150 million to address urgent social and environmental issues. This will include funds directed to aiding natural marine and forest ecosystems restoration projects, financing projects linked to the circular economy and supporting organisations and local charities in efforts to fight for women in poverty, help women achieve social and professional integration, provide emergency assistance to refugee and disabled women, prevent violence against women and support female victims.
“L’Oréal’s sustainable revolution is entering a new era,” explained Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and CEO of L’Oréal. “The challenges the planet is facing are unprecedented, and it is essential to accelerate our efforts to preserve a safe operating space for humanity. We do so in our own business operations and in our contribution to the society at large. We know that the biggest challenges remain to come and L’Oréal will stay faithful to its ambition: operate within the limits of the planet.”
L’Oréal is committed to sustainability across its many brands and categories, and has developed a Product Environmental & Social Impact Labelling mechanism that scales and grades products. This is endorsed by independent scientific experts and verified by an independent auditor.
Other practices will see L’Oréal ensure all its operating processes respect ‘planetary boundaries’, without compromising the Earth’s capacity as a habitat for human development. The group‘s targets for 2030 facilitate this by fighting climate change, as well as focusing on the preservation of biodiversity, sustainable water management and circular use of resources. Their environmental ethos will extend to the activity of the brand’s suppliers and 1.5 billion consumers as well.
“Over the past decade, we have profoundly transformed our company, putting sustainability at the very core of our business model,” said Alexandra Palt, L’Oréal Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer. “With our new commitments, we are entering a new phase of acceleration of that transformation: going beyond our direct environmental impact, helping consumers to make more sustainable choices, as well as generating positive social and environmental contribution. As an industry leader, we consider that it is our role to contribute to building an inclusive and sustainable society.”
Sustainability and the brand’s greater environmental impact has always been pivotal to L’Oréal, which has so far reduced the CO2 emissions of its plants and distribution centers by 78 per cent since 2005 and implemented 35 carbon neutral sites, with 100 per cent renewable energy, including 14 factories. Its Sharing Beauty With All platform, developed in 2013, put social and environmental goals for 2020 in focus, integrating environmentalism and philanthropic programs into every facet of the brand. As an example, 85 per cent of L’Oréal products created or renovated in 2019 had an improved environmental and social profile, and by the end of 2019, L’Oréal had helped 90,635 people from disadvantaged communities find employment through the solidarity purchasing and inclusion programs. Issues and focuses such as climate protection, water management, forest preservation remain core to the brand.
“As a father, I look at my children and feel an urgent need to help shape a better future for them. Leading scientists tell us that we have one decade to act on climate change. We all have a responsibility to be part of that action and ensure a safe, promising future for the generations that will come after us,” said Rodrigo Pizarro, CEO of L’Oréal Australia.
“In the end, we need to do more than just change our business operations – every company also needs to contribute financially. L’Oréal’s impact investing strategy will enable us to contribute to solving the world’s environmental and social challenges. Social sustainability is every bit as important as environmental sustainability, and we are committed to financially supporting the empowerment of communities currently facing a range of challenges around the world.”
Moving through and out of 2020, L’Oréal will continue to put the planet first in every respect, with new programs, goals and financial directives making an environmental, social and philanthropic difference to the planet at large.
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