L’Oreal named among world’s most ethical companies

L'Oreal has been named in the Ethisphere Institute's annual list of the world's most ethical businesses for the sixth consecutive year.

The firm was one of only three companies in the health and beauty sector honored in 2015, recognising its commitment to fostering a culture of ethics and transparency at every level of the organisation.

Companies included in the ranking are evaluated on five different metrics – ethics and compliance programme, governance, corporate citizenship and responsibility, culture of ethics, and leadership, innovation and reputation.

Jean-Paul Agon, chairman and chief executive officer of L'Oreal, said: "For us, ethics is an essential duty. A strong culture of integrity is a competitive advantage for a company, bringing long-term value."

L'Oreal was one of the first companies in France to establish a code of business ethics, doing so in 2000. It holds an annual Ethics Day, where employees from around the world can chat online with Mr Agon and their respective country general manager about relevant issues.

The firm launched the third edition of its internal code of ethics last year. The document is now available in 45 languages.