SENSE OF PURPOSE
FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE
As a leader in global beauty, L’Oréal Groupe is committed to taking real steps to safeguard biodiversity and prevent climate change.
For over 20 years, L’Oréal Groupe has been working to reduce the CO2 emissions linked to its industrial activity.
Recently, the company redefined its renewable energy strategy by using locally produced renewable energy, or directly produced renewable energy. This includes the use of biomass, biomethanisation and solar panels.
In 2017, the company was among the first one hundred companies to set Science-Based Targets (SBT) approved objectives. It has set an overarching climate change objective for 2030 which aligns its greenhouse gas emissions to the +1.5°C scenario. This means that L’Oréal Groupe will reduce scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by -50% per finished product across the value chain.
By 2025, 100% of all its sites will have achieved carbon neutrality by transitioning to 100% renewable energy and improving energy efficiency. By 2030, it will reduce the average carbon emissions per finished product by -25% compared to 2016.
In the same year, the Groupe has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to transport by -50% per finished product and reduce suppliers’ scopes 1 and 2 emissions by -50% compared to 2016.
While those climate goals may seem ambitious for a company the size of L’Oréal, the Groupe is on track to achieve them.
The company has already reduced the carbon emissions of its plants and distribution centres by -87% in absolute terms compared to 2005, while increasing output by +37% for the same period. By the end of 2021, L’Oréal has successfully transitioned 100 carbon neutral sites, including 25 factories.
L’Oréal China: L’Oréal’s first market to achieve carbon neutrality
In 2019, the L’Oréal Suzhou plant in China became the second carbon-neutral plant within the Group’s APAC zone. This follows the Yichang plant, which achieved carbon neutrality in 2018. Having reached this important milestone, China became L’Oréal’s first market to complete carbon neutrality across all operation sites covering plants, distribution centres, research and innovation centre and offices.
Sustainable Product Optimisation Tool Tool
To measure and improve the environmental and social impact of its products and packaging, L’Oréal Groupe launched the Sustainable Product Optimisation Tool (SPOT) assessment tool, which is now fully integrated into product design and launch processes.
The tool simulates various options to assess their impact on the environment and identifies possible areas of improvement. It also quantifies the reduction in impact across every aspect of the product and monitors progress, especially in terms of the formula footprint and packaging.
Reducing Virgin Plastic
L’Oréal has taken an eco-design approach to packaging and is rethinking its production in a holistic way, from design through to end of life recycling.
Its strategy comprises five pillars: use recycled materials; reduce the intensity of packaging; use materials from renewable sources; refillable packaging to limit single-use containers and eliminate packaging altogether through innovative new formulas.
In 2021, L’Oréal Groupe reformulated and relaunched 96% of all products to have an improved environmental profile, with 100% of all refreshed products already evaluated by the SPOT assessment tool. 100% of all paper used for product leaflets and 99.9% of cardboard used for cartons were sourced from sustainably managed forests, while 21% of plastics used came from recycled or bio-based sources. In total, 67% of all plastics used by the Groupe came from recycled origins.
L’Oréal Groupe also committed to reducing the intensity of the packaging of its products by -20% versus 2019. In 2022, L’Oréal launched new plastic tubes for La Roche Posay, which use -75% less plastic than their traditional counterparts.
Some notable packaging initiatives, which include solid formulas, refillable and reusable cosmetics, include the Kiehl’s Refillery Concept, Biotherm’s Enzymatic plastic recycling bottle and the Yves Saint Laurent Pure Shot – Light Up Serum. By using a refillable container and three refills instead of four bottles, the total packaging weight of the Pure Shot Light Up Serum is cut by -52%.
