Dubai: It’s all in the labelling… global beauty brands are starting to pay close attention to it.
L’Oreal, one of the biggest names in the skincare business, is introducing new ways to its labelling, grading its products on an A to E scoring. An A will be assigned to products rated as being “best-in-class” on environmental impact.
The first label that will implement the measuring mechanism will be Garnier haircare range sold in France. It will then be extended to other markets as well as other brands in the L’Oreal portfolio.
“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,” said Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and CEO of L’Oréal, in a statement.
The new mantra the company will operate on is to stay within “planetary boundaries”. The environmental-impact labelling is just one way of showing the direction it is headed on.
Not a one-off
And there are other targets L’Oreal is setting for itself.
“Over the past decade, we have 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.”
By 2025, all of the group’s manufacturing, administrative and research sites will reach carbon neutrality and use 100 per cent renewable energy.
Go for ESG
Global businesses are starting to set clear guidelines on their environment, social, governance policies. If not, investors and other stakeholders, including consumers, want corporates to get more proactive in being environmentally and socially responsible.
Then, there are movements such as Black Lives Matter… skincare brands have in recent weeks moved quickly to ditch time-tested concepts on skin tones and the use of stereotypes to propagate that message. Unilever in India said Thursday, it was all set to ditch ‘fair’ from its market dominating ‘Fair & Lovely’ face cream.
