Clichy, France – Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and CEO of L’Oréal, announced in late October the new commitment L’Oréal has made to transform by 2020 the sustainability footprint of the company while achieving its business ambition.
Achieving Growth Sustainably
L’Oréal’s ambition is to win 1 billion new consumers by means of its universalization strategy which aims to answer all the diverse beauty needs of men and women around the world. Part of the Group’s growth strategy is its commitment to produce more but with less impact and to engage consumers, who are at the heart of its business, to make sustainable choices by offering them products that are both sustainable and desirable. In order to achieve this, L’Oréal commits to improving every part of its value chain, from research to operations, while sharing its growth with the communities it touches through “Sharing Beauty With All”.
Jean-Paul Agon said: “L’Oréal has a strong legacy in sustainability and a thorough ambition for the future. We are proud to announce “Sharing Beauty With All”, our sustainability commitment for 2020. We believe consumers are at the heart of our sustainability drive and we want to reach the next billion consumers while making a positive impact on the world. By accelerating sustainable innovation within our business, and harnessing the power of our brands to inform consumers, we will raise awareness about sustainability and encourage consumers to make more sustainable choices.”
These commitments are the result of two years of exchange with various stakeholders throughout the world. L’Oréal will report regularly on its progress against each goal with the help of a panel of independent assessors, chaired by José Maria Figueres, an authority in the world of sustainability, and consisting of international experts*.
‘Sharing Beauty With All’ is a commitment in four areas:
1. Innovating Sustainably – By 2020, L’Oréal will innovate so that 100% of products have an environmental or social benefit.
Every time the company invents or updates a product, it will improve its environmental or social profile against at least one of the following criteria:
- The new formula reduces the environmental footprint
- The new formula uses renewable raw materials that are sustainably sourced or raw materials derived from green chemistry.
- The new packaging has an improved environmental profile.
- The new product has a positive social impact.
2. Producing Sustainably – By 2020, L’Oréal will reduce its environmental footprint by 60% whilst bringing beauty to one billion new consumers.
- L’Oréal will reduce CO2 emissions at its plants and distribution centers by 60% in absolute terms, from a 2005 baseline.
- L’Oréal will reduce its water consumption by 60% per finished product unit, from a 2005 baseline.
- L’Oréal will reduce waste by 60% per finished product unit, from a 2005 baseline.
- L’Oréal will send zero waste to landfill.
- L’Oréal will reduce its CO2 emissions from transportation of products by 20% per finished product unit from a 2011 baseline.
3. Living Sustainably – By 2020, L’Oréal will empower every consumer to make sustainable consumption choices while enhancing the beauty of the planet.
- L’Oréal will use a product assessment tool to evaluate the environmental and social profile of 100% of new products and all brands will make this information available to allow consumers to make sustainable lifestyle choices.
- All L’Oréal brands will assess where they have the biggest environmental and social impact, and make commitments to improve their footprint. Every brand will report on its progress and raise awareness among consumers about sustainable lifestyle choices.
- L’Oréal consumers will be able to influence its sustainability actions through its consumer sustainability panel.
4. Developing Sustainably
a. Employees: By 2020, L’Oréal employees will have access to healthcare, social protection and training, wherever they are in the world.
- L’Oréal will provide health coverage for employees, which is aligned with the best practices of the country they are based in.
- L’Oréal will provide financial protection for all employees if unexpected life events, such as incapacity or permanent disability, occur.
- Every L’Oréal employee will have access to at least one training per year wherever they are in the world.
b. Suppliers: By 2020, 100% of L’Oréal‘s strategic suppliers will be participating in L’Oréal’s supplier sustainability program.
- All strategic suppliers will be evaluated and selected on social and environmental performance.
- All strategic suppliers will have completed a self-assessment of their sustainability policy with the company’s support.
- All suppliers will have access to L’Oréal training tools to improve their sustainability policies.
- 20% of strategic suppliers will be associated with L’Oréal’s solidarity sourcing program.
