L'Oréal USA achieves carbon neutrality

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Sep 27, 2021

L'Oréal USA has announced that all of its U.S. facilities are now carbon-neutral. 

The largest subsidiary of the L'Oréal Group said that it has reached carbon neutrality for “scopes 1 and 2” emissions for all of its 25 U.S. sites, across 12 states, including its manufacturing and distribution facilities, administrative sites, and research and innovation sites.

The achievement is in-line with the beauty leader's global sustainability commitment, 'L'Oréal for the Future', which states that all L'Oréal operated sites worldwide must reach carbon neutrality by 2025. With this announcement, the U.S. subsidiary has achieved this goal four years ahead of schedule.   

To get there, the company put the focus on energy optimization, direct Renewable Energy Projects, locally sourced Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). 

To reduce energy consumption, L'Oréal USA's manufacturing facilities have implemented measures, ranging from a switch to LED lighting to more specialized equipment such as high-efficiency air compressors and vacuum pumps. It equally joined in 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Better Buildings, Better Plants program in an effort optimize energy reductions. 

Seventy percent of L'Oréal USA's sites have also embraced on-site renewable energy projects, including the installation of more than 50,000 solar panels across the country totalling 57 miles.

To make up the difference between on-site solar capacity and usage, L'Oréal has strict parameters for the purchase of RECs. Finally, to address the company's gas usage, L'Oréal USA sites procure RNG from landfill gas projects in Texas and New York that capture and convert methane produced from the natural decomposition of organic materials. 

"Our brands and products are some of the most recognizable in the world, and more than two out every three products we sell in the United States are manufactured here,” said Stéphane Rinderknech, president and CEO, L'Oréal USA. 

“Our customers can be proud their products are made in facilities that use 100% renewable energy. While we are proud of these achievements, we know this is not enough to meet the moment we are in today and must push ourselves ever farther to meet the climate crisis head-on."