Tangible Commitments for Responsible Growth
To be sustainable, L’Oréal’s growth must be exemplary and for the benefit of all: consumers, employees, suppliers, distributors, shareholders and communities. It is built on the founding values of the group—respect, integrity and excellence—rooted in the everyday reality of all its businesses. Committed to accepting the full responsibilities of a leader, L’Oréal is taking tangible and measurable initiatives to contribute to a more respectful and more beautiful world.
L'Oréal's eight strong commitments for sustainable growth:
 Corporate Governance
L’Oréal’s Board of Directors attaches great importance to the quality
of corporate governance, closely monitors changes in best practices in this field, and strives to ensure constant progress is achieved.
Business Model
As an international group, L’Oréal is committed to achieving valuecreating growth for the greatest number of stakeholders participating in its success. Despite the extremely difficult business environment caused by the economic crisis in 2008, the L’Oréal business model, based on innovation, quality and globalisation, demonstrated its resilience.
Safety, Health and Environment
L’Oréal aims for excellence in the realm of environmental performance.
The group’s policy is to reduce its environmental footprint through eco-efficiency and where possible achieve an absolute reduction in its impact. Between 2003 and 2008, L’Oréal reduced its energy consumption by 17%, direct CO2 emissions by 23%, water consumption by 25% and waste generation(1) by 26% per finished product.
Research and Development
L’Oréal promotes sustainable innovation by incorporating the principles
of sustainable development into its core Research and Development activities. For example, the group supports the development of green chemistry, systematically assesses the impact of raw materials on the environment and on biodiversity, and integrates raw materials from fair trade sources. In 2007, L’Oréal set up a Natural and Organic Centre of Excellence, one of whose key remits is to increase the use of more natural raw materials.
Employee focus
The group wants to offer its employees the possibility of achieving personal fulfilment within a multicultural and stimulating community, rich in diversity and talents, to which everyone contributes with creativity and enthusiasm.
Relations with suppliers
The group is careful to ensure that working standards and human
rights are strictly respected throughout the various stages of the supply chain. Every year, hundreds of audits are carried out by independent experts to verify that all our suppliers do indeed apply the terms of international conventions on employment rights.
Relations with consumers
L’Oréal is committed to providing high-quality service and advice to its consumers through a network of 300 specialists in over 50 countries. The group has also committed to sustainable marketing by signing the Charter of the French Advertisers’ Association (Union des annonceurs) for responsible advertising.
Corporate philanthropy
L’Oréal is determined to be an exemplary corporate citizen by promoting initiatives in favour of women and science, support for the most vulnerable, and education. Through the L’Oréal Corporate Foundation, the group is committed to two major international partnerships with UNESCO: “For Women in Science”, and the preventive training programme “Hairdressers against AIDS”. There are also a growing number of local support schemes in countries throughout the world.
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