Launched in 2021, Laboratoires Expanscience’s CSR strategy for 2040 is already being translated into concrete initiatives. “Progress is tangible across multiple areas of our action plan,” says Armelle Le Peniec, Director of the Group’s Cosmetic and Nutraceutical Actives business.
As a reminder, the roadmap is built around three strategic pillars: preserving and regenerating biodiversity, ensuring sustainable management of water and energy resources, and reducing the Group’s carbon footprint.
Protecting biodiversity and regenerative agriculture
The French cosmetics and pharmaceutical group, which is also involved in the development of plant-based cosmetic and nutraceutical ingredients, logically places biodiversity at the core of its business model. “Almost all of our products contain plant-based raw materials, so 99% of our revenue depends on this biodiversity,” emphasizes Armelle Le Péniec.
The Group has committed to sourcing 50% of its plant-based raw materials from regenerative agriculture by 2035, with the remaining 50% coming from certified organic sources or upcycled materials.
Regenerative agriculture is based on no-till farming, crop rotation, and continuous cover crops to restore biodiversity and soil organic matter, which has fallen from 4% to 1.5% in half a century in France. This is a major challenge, as this matter determines soil fertility, its carbon storage capacity, and its role in regulating water in the soil.
The initiative spans both current sourcing and future innovations. Over the next ten years, Expanscience will support and train its suppliers in France and abroad in adopting the principles of this agricultural approach.
“We are actively assessing the conditions for implementing regenerative sourcing in Peru for our avocado supply chain, which supplies Mustela and several of our other brands. In France, we collaborate with APAD — the Association for the Promotion of Sustainable Agriculture (Association pour la Promotion d’une Agriculture Durable) — to support farmers’ training in soil conservation practices. We are also working with a flax grower using soil conservation agriculture (SCA) and, in 2024, introduced Gaïaline based on this sourcing approach. Several other initiatives are in progress, particularly around sunflower cultivation in France,” the executive continues.
Optimizing industrial equipment
On the industrial front, the company is committing to a EUR 20 million investment program over the coming years at its Epernon site in France, which will enable it to achieve its objectives in terms of limiting carbon emissions, responsible water consumption management, and reducing plastic packaging.
The main project involves installing a heating/cooling platform comparable to a giant heat pump, with waste heat recovery, which will reduce the site’s energy-related GHG emissions by 32% compared to 2019.
In addition, the company already uses nearly 70% renewable energy (gas and electricity) at its Epernon site and is continuing its decarbonization trajectory, which has been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Expanscience is moving away from air freight for shipments of its Mustela products in favor of maritime transport.
“In 2024, we reduced our carbon emissions by 3% in absolute terms, despite growing sales. Logistics optimization has enabled us to reduce CO₂ emissions in the logistics sector by 67% compared to 2023,” says Armelle Le Péniec.
Reducing water consumption is also an important area of focus. “Between 2010 and 2024, we have already reduced water consumption per unit produced by 25% and are aiming for a further 25% reduction in absolute terms by 2027, thanks in particular to the recycling of water from our processes,” continues the director.
Some water rich in organic matter is also recycled through methanization via a local agricultural partner.
The investment also includes EUR 5 million by the end of 2026 to increase production capacity for active pharmaceutical ingredients by 25% in order to meet growing international demand.
Spreading sustainable practices throughout the value chain
Finally, Expanscience wants to strengthen its value chain commitment. On November 13, during its Suppliers Day — the annual event bringing together its partners — the company signed France’s Responsible Supplier Relations & Purchasing Charter.
This charter provides a framework recognized by the State that reflects the collective ambition to advance responsible purchasing practices at the national and international levels.
For Expanscience, this is less an administrative document than an official strategic commitment to accelerate transformation in cooperation with its partners, which is essential to the sustainability of companies throughout its value chain.
Halfway through its 2040 roadmap, Expanscience is demonstrating through targeted investments and the mobilization of its entire value chain that the ecological transition can quickly become a reality.
