L’Oreal announces carbon balancing targets for 2020

L'Oreal has highlighted the steps it will be taking to achieve its new goal of becoming a carbon-balanced business by 2020 at the latest.

Since 2005, the company has managed to reduce the CO2 emissions of its operations by 50 percent in absolute terms, while increasing its production by 22 percent over the same period. It has now set an objective of a 60 percent reduction by 2020.

Several projects have already been launched to transform the group's sourcing programmes into low-carbon models, improve supply chain energy efficiency, and promote environmentally-friendly agricultural practices and forest management projects.

It will also be adopting a new carbon accounting methodology, overseen by a committee of international experts.

Jean-Paul Agon, chairman and chief executive officer of L'Oreal, said: "This initiative demonstrates the group's capacity to leverage its innovation power in order to address a major environmental challenge alongside its suppliers and communities."

This comes after the firm announced that its Yichang plant in China will reach carbon footprint neutrality this year.