L’Oréal USA — the largest subsidiary of the L’Oréal Groupe — has announced that it has reached carbon neutrality for scopes 1 and 2 emissions for all 25 U.S. sites, across 12 states, including its manufacturing and distribution facilities, administrative sites, and research and innovation sites.

This 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.

L’Oréal’s sustainability ambition is a transformational effort that has touched every department, becoming a source of pride, inspiration and education for all our 11,000 U.S. employees,” said Stéphane Rinderknech, President & CEO, L’Oréal USA. “Our brands and products are some of the most recognizable in the world, and more than 2 out every 3 products we sell in the United States are manufactured here. 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.

The strategy implemented by L’Oréal USA to reach this carbon neutrality included:

 Energy Optimization. L’Oréal USA’s manufacturing facilities have implemented measures to reduce energy consumption, ranging from a switch to LED lighting to more specialized equipment such as high-efficiency air compressors and vacuum pumps.
 Direct Renewable Energy Projects. Seventy percent of L’Oréal USA’s sites have on-site renewable energy projects. L’Oréal USA is continuously ranked among the top 25 companies for overall U.S. solar capacity by the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA). Since 2005, the company has installed more than 50,000 solar panels across the country totaling 57 miles.
 The largest commercial solar array in Kentucky. L’Oréal USA built the largest commercial solar array in Kentucky at its Florence Haircare manufacturing facility, which provides 1.4MW of power through 4,140 solar panels. This 686,000 square foot plant, is the company’s largest manufacturing site in the U.S. and its largest worldwide by tonnage produced.
 An early commitment to solar energy in Arkansas. L’Oréal USA was one of the first major corporations to commit to solar energy in Arkansas, where it built the third largest solar array in the state in 2017. The 3,600 solar panel installation now provides 1.2 MW of renewable energy for its 450,000 sq. ft. factory in North Little Rock, one of the company’s premiere cosmetics manufacturing plants globally.
 Renewable Energy in L’Oréal USA administrative offices,
 etc.

This achievement is not a final step in the company’s efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. Recently, within the L’Oréal for the Future ambition, the global beauty leader has set additional long-term goals to reduce its entire inventory of greenhouse gas emissions (Scopes 1, 2 and 3) by 25% by 2030, in absolute terms compared to 2016, and by 2050 aims to further reduce emissions and become a net zero company. These goals were set in accordance with the Science Based Targets, which aim to limit global warming to 1.5°C, according to climate scientist recommendations, as set by the Paris Agreement. L’Oréal’s goals are guided by the concept of Planetary Boundaries, which projects the limits humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come.