Prestige beauty company Estée Lauder announced today the launch of new science-based emissions reduction targets covering the company’s direct operations and value chain. The new goals were unveiled along with the announcement by the company that it has achieved Net Zero emissions and sourced 100% renewable electricity globally for its direct operations, reaching the targets it set on joining RE100 campaign in 2017.

Fabrizio Freda, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Estée Lauder Companies, said:

“Today’s announcement signals a new level of ambition and dedication to climate action for The Estée Lauder Companies. Setting ambitious targets in line with the latest climate science is testament to our values and commitment to managing our business for the long term. In this decisive decade for climate action, we will continue to accelerate efforts to ensure a healthy, beautiful planet for generations to come.”

Estée Lauder’s new targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), with its Scope 1 and 2 goals in line with SBTi’s most stringent criteria of keep warming to 1.5°C. The companies new goals are listed as follows:

• The Estée Lauder Companies commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 50% by 2030 from a 2018 base year. This target is consistent with reductions required to keep warming to 1.5°C, the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.
• The Estée Lauder Companies also commits to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution, and business travel 60% per unit revenue over the same timeframe. This target for the emissions from ELC’s value chain (Scope 3) meets the SBTi’s criteria for ambitious value chain goals, meaning they are in line with current best practice.

Nancy Mahon, Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability of The Estée Lauder Companies, said:

“The Estée Lauder Companies has been deeply committed to climate action for many years and, in 2020, we not only stayed true to our commitments, but took steps to further accelerate progress. At such a critical time for our planet and communities around the world, we know this work is more important than ever. The events of this year have only underscored the urgency and imperative of climate action and we’re committed to doing our part, collaborating with partners to tackle one of the greatest challenges of our time.”

To date, Estée Lauder has undertaken numerous initiatives to reduce emissions and achieve net zero in its operations. In late 2019, the company entered a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) for 22 MW of wind power from the Ponderosa wind farm in Oklahoma, covering more than half of the company’s electricity footprint with renewable energy technologies. The company has also installed ground-mount and rooftop on-site solar arrays at its facilities around the world, bringing the company’s global total to more than 5 MW of solar capacity. Additionally, the company purchased offsets from the Massachusetts Tri-City Forestry project in North America, and has utilized renewable energy certificates (RECs) or their international equivalent to support local renewable energy generation.

Helen Clarkson, Chief Executive Officer, the Climate Group, said:

“We congratulate The Estée Lauder Companies on their fantastic work to switch to renewable electricity globally. When large companies like The Estée Lauder Companies set their sights on an ambitious target, they can achieve huge change at a rapid pace. This is exactly the sort of leadership we need to see in the climate decade, as we work to halve global emissions.”