As it turns 40 years old, The Body Shop is unveiling new global CSR strategy that will underpin all aspects of company operation. The new commitment will reaffirm the company’s position as a leader in ethical business and will define the next stage of development of its business, according to the brand, which is part of L’Oréal.
 
The new commitment, entitled “Enrich Not Exploit,” embraces the bold ethical principles from which The Body Shop was built. It will support The Body Shop in its aim to be the world's most ethical and sustainable global business and is an extensive program of global activity and it has measurable targets across all areas of the business to be delivered by 2020.
 
“The Body Shop courageously pioneered new ways of thinking, acting and speaking out as a company. Our ground-breaking campaigns were ahead of their time and changed laws on animal testing, domestic violence and human trafficking. We were the first in beauty to use community trade and we still have the strongest programme in the industry,” said Jeremy Schwartz, chairman and CEO, The Body Shop. “ We are small, but we lead. Today for all of us, the greatest challenges lie ahead and The Body Shop's 40thanniversary is the perfect time to reassert our aim for leadership in ethical business. For us, being truly sustainable means shaping our business to work in line with the planet's natural systems so they can replenish and restore themselves. With our Commitment we're challenging ourselves to go further than we've ever gone before to make a real, sustainable and positive difference. We have set ourselves a significant goal to be the world's most ethical and truly sustainable global business.” 
 
The commitment has three pillars—Enrich our People, Enrich our Products and Enrich our Planet— that touch on all aspects of its business: ingredients, products, packaging, stores, employees, suppliers and campaigns, according to The Body Shop. There are 14 specific, measurable targets by 2020 that make the business accountable for delivery.
 
According to The Body Shop, the targets are:

1. Double our Community Trade program from 19 to 40 ingredients and help enrich communities that produce them
2. Help 40,000 economically vulnerable people access work around the world
3. Engage 8 million people in our Enrich Not Exploit™ Commitment mission, creating our biggest campaign ever
4. Invest 250,000 hours of our skills and know-how to enrich the biodiversity of our local communities
5. Ensure 100% of our natural ingredients are traceable and sustainably sourced, protecting 10,000 hectares of forest and other habitat
6. Reduce year on year the environmental footprint of all our product categories
7. Publish our use of ingredients of natural origin, ingredients from green chemistry, and the biodegradability and water footprint of our products
8. Develop an innovation pipeline that delivers pioneering cosmetic ingredients from biodiversity hotspots and which helps to enrich these areas
9. Build Bio-Bridges, protecting and regenerating 75 million square meters of habitat helping communities to live more sustainably
10. Reduce the environmental footprint of our stores every time we refurbish or redesign them
11. Develop and deliver three new sustainable packaging innovations
12. Ensure that 70% of our total product packaging does not contain fossil fuels
13. Power 100% of our stores with renewable or carbon balanced energy
14. Reduce by 10% the energy use of all our stores every year
 
“The Body Shop can be both a force for good and a successful, profitable business,” continued Schwartz. “Forty years ago Anita Roddick set out a challenge for The Body Shop to tackle the big issues of her time. We're now tackling the big issues of today. We want our Enrich Not Exploit Commitment to inspire a new generation of customers, supporters and especially millennials who truly care about how a company operates. Re-establishing The Body Shop as a leader will come from delivering our ambitious aim to be the world's most ethical and truly sustainable global business.” 
 
“We have set ourselves ambitious, inspiring and measurable targets for our commitment. We are developing new practices to enrich the planet in which we operate whilst helping our company grow and prosper. Our new Commitment combines all the experience and knowledge of our expert people with new advances in science and technology,” noted Chris Davis, international CSR and campaigns director. “It means understanding how our business is contributing to our existence on the planet, understanding what we need to change to contribute to a sustainable future by working backwards from a visionary end point to the here and now and asking ourselves what comes next. We'll continue to work in partnership with suppliers, NGOs, academics, governments and other businesses to deliver the innovation and changes needed to make our ambitions a reality.”
 
The new commitment contributes to and enhances L'Oréal's rigorous sustainability framework, Sharing Beauty with All.  The Body Shop's specific addition to the framework is called “Retailing Sustainably.” As L'Oréal's largest retail brand, The Body Shop has a unique role to play in the design, management and sustainability of its retail outlets and the relationship with its customers, said the firm.