Sustainability : L’Oréal accelerates its transformation in 2017

A few days ahead of Earth Day on 22 April, L’Oréal publishes the 2017 Progress Report on its sustainability programme Sharing Beauty with All. The report shows significant progress, as much on sustainable innovation as on the company’s commitment to fighting climate change.

In 2017, we have once again shown that economic success and environmental performance go hand in hand. We want to show that responsible growth is not just possible but necessary, and that sustainability shapes a desirable future for everyone says Alexandra Palt, the Group’s Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer.

The SPOT evaluation tool: a first of its kind in the beauty industry

In 2017, L’Oréal has implemented its Sustainable Product Optimisation Tool (SPOT) across all its brands. SPOT is the first of its kind in the beauty industry. Since 2014, L’Oréal’s teams, with the support of international experts, have worked to develop a methodology of this tool to measure all the environmental as well as social impacts of a cosmetic product and to identify avenues for improvement. SPOT is also instrumental in achieving L’Oréal’s goal of improving the social or environmental profile of 100% of new products by 2020. SPOT was used to evaluate 100% of new or renovated products in 2017 and 76% of the products launched in 2017 have been improved. Learn more about SPOT.

A recognised low carbon performance

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. http://www.cdp.net/en/scores-2017. L’Oréal’s performance has also been highlighted by the US publication Newsweek. L’Oréal topped its 2017 Green Ranking with a score of 89.9%, the best score among 500 global companies. http://www.newsweek.com/top-500-global-companies-green-rankings-2017-18

L’Oréal renews its climate ambition in line with the Science Based Targets initiative

Within the framework of the Science Based Targets initiative, L’Oréal has undertaken new commitments towards 2030 to fight climate change and reduce its carbon footprint. L’Oréal’s goal is to reduce by 25% in absolute terms, compared to 2016, all its greenhouse gas emissions, i.e. those emitted directly by L’Oréal as well as those generated indirectly, for example, those emitted via its suppliers’ activities or through the use of its products by consumers. http://sciencebasedtargets.org/2018/04/17/over-100-global-corporations-using-science-based-targets- to-align-strategies-with-paris-agreement/