11.02.21
The Estée Lauder Companies made significant progress against its goals and commitments in key areas including packaging, climate and energy, product formulation, and social investments as reported in its Fiscal Year 2021 Social Impact and Sustainability Report. Earlier this week, ELC released its Q1 financial results for fiscal 2022.
Packaging
The company achieved its PCR goal ahead of schedule and announced a more ambitious goal to increase the amount of PCR material in its packaging to 25% or more by the end of calendar year 2025. The company also announced a new goal to reduce the amount of virgin petroleum plastic in its packaging to 50 percent or less by the end of calendar year 2030.
In fiscal 2021, 89% of the company’s forest-based fiber cartons were FSC certified, increasing from 28% in fiscal 2019, driving progress towards its goal to have 100% of its forest-based fiber cartons FSC certified by the end of calendar year 2025.
Climate and Energy
The company was named to the CDP Climate A List in 2020, achieving a distinction reached by only the top 5% of the more than 5,800 companies scored. The company was also honored with RE100’s 2021 Enterprising Leader Award, acknowledging the company’s progress and leadership in the global transition to 100% renewable electricity.
In 2021, the company made strong progress on its Scope 1 and 2 SBT and continued to make efforts towards meeting its Scope 3 SBT.
The company’s largest renewable energy agreement to date — a 22 MW Virtual Power Purchase Agreement for a wind farm in Oklahoma — became fully operational, generating enough clean, renewable energy to cover its entire North America operations. ELC expanded its renewable energy portfolio through a new, on-site solar installation in Hillmount, Canada, bringing its total solar capacity to 5.7 MW. The company generated a cumulative total of more than 5,000 MWh of solar energy in fiscal 2021, supporting both progress toward its SBTs and helping meet its facilities’ energy needs with green power.
Product Formulation
In fiscal 2021, the company integrated an innovative green chemistry program into its product development process, enabling visibility into the green chemistry profile of new product launches. The company is moving quickly to advance this work, especially in light of growing consumer interest in product formulation.
As part of the company’s goal to have all brands publish key ingredient glossaries by the end of calendar year 2025, fiscal 2021 saw an additional seven brands — Estée Lauder, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Bumble and bumble, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GlamGlow, and Smashbox —publish ingredient glossaries on their websites.
Social Investments
The company’s flagship social impact programs underpin its global social investment strategy. Founded in 1992 by the late Evelyn H. Lauder with the launch of the iconic Pink Ribbon, The Breast Cancer Campaign is ELC’s largest corporate social impact program. Together, BCC and ELCCF have funded more than $108 million for lifesaving global research, education, and medical services.
The company’s groundbreaking MAC Viva Glam campaign has raised more than $500 million since 1994 for the global fightagainst HIV/AIDS and its mission to support health and rights for all, with a focus on women and girls and the LGBTQIA+ community.
In fiscal 2021, ELCCF deepened its commitment to girls’ education and expanded its mission to include women’s advancement, launching strategic partnerships with organizations such as:
- Co-Impact: ELCCF became an inaugural donor to Co-Impact's Gender Fund with a pledge of $15 million over five years focused on achieving transformative systems change for gender equality;
- Grantmakers for Girls of Color (G4GC): ELCCF committed to support G4GC’s Black Girl Freedom Fund, building upon the company’s existing commitment to girls’ education and racial equity with an added emphasis on reaching local groups at the intersection of race and gender;
- Plastics for Change: ELCCF’s partnership helps to enhance livelihoods for waste collectors in India, the majority of whom are women, while diverting plastics from the ocean; and
- The Young Women’s Leadership Schools (TYWLS): A longtime partner with the Student Leadership Network’s TYWLS program, in 2021, ELCCF increased its longstanding support to include all TYWLS New York City schools serving girls in high school.