2024 universal registration document

4.11.2 Policies to help consumers make sustainable choices

4.11 Transparent labelling and shift towards responsible consumption (S4)

4.11.2 Policies to help consumers make sustainable choices
4.11.1.1 Material impacts, risks and opportunities related to responsible labelling and consumption
  Description Subtopics Policy Action plan

IRO: negative impact

Time horizon: short term

IRO: negative impact

Time horizon: short term

Description

A lack of transparent and comprehensible information on the impact of products, combined with the risks of greenwashing and limited consumer understanding, could lead to poor choices and the selection of products with greater negative environmental impacts. This lack of transparency could also slow down L'Oréal's internal development of more sustainable products, since it would be hard for consumers to identify and prioritise genuinely eco-friendly options. False claims may also mislead consumers, leading to inappropriate product choices. Lack of advice on how to use products may lead to overuse, wasted water and inappropriate waste disposal.

IRO: negative impact

Time horizon: short term

Subtopics

Access to high-quality information for consumers

IRO: negative impact

Time horizon: short term

Policy

Research & Innovation and packaging policy

EcoBeautyScore Association

IRO: negative impact

Time horizon: short term

Action plan

Developing a Product Impact Labelling system for displaying products’ environmental impact

Helping to build an industry-wide scoring methodology: the EcoBeautyScore

IRO: positive impact

Time horizon: short term / long term

IRO: positive impact

Time horizon: short term / long term

Description

In terms of positive impacts, transparent labelling and simplified choices help consumers make more responsible choices, which benefits both L’Oréal’s brand portfolio and the beauty industry as a whole.

IRO: risk

Time horizon: short term

IRO: risk

Time horizon: short term

Description

L’Oréal is exposed to significant financial and reputational risks in the event of a lack of labelling transparency. Misleading labelling practices may lead to prosecution and fines, while an overall lack of transparency could undermine consumer and stakeholder confidence, impacting L’Oréal's sales, attractiveness and overall reputation.

IRO: opportunity

Time horizon: medium term / long term

IRO: opportunity

Time horizon: medium term / long term

Description

The focus on displaying environmental impacts in a transparent and harmonised way represents a real opportunity for L'Oréal. For example, transparent and consistent labelling could lead to a levelling up of practices across the industry, thereby reducing the costs associated with compliance. Open communication about products may reinforce consumer confidence, driving greater loyalty, higher sales and a clear competitive advantage.

4.11.2 Policies to help consumers make sustainable choices

4.11.2.1 Informing consumer choices and promoting responsible products

L’Oréal’s ambition is to accelerate the transformation of the beauty industry by guiding all consumers towards more sustainable products and thereby generate a preference for products with a low environmental impact.

L'Oréal meets consumer expectations in terms of sustainability while anticipating changes in the regulatory landscape. The Group uses scientific approaches to support its environmental communications and aims to ensure greater transparency in its information by adapting to future requirements.

This development is based on two key areas:

  • encouraging responsible consumption by offering greater transparency to facilitate consumer choices;
  • encouraging eco-friendly product design by reducing the consumption of resources such as water and offering a more circular product range with a smaller environmental footprint, based on product life cycle analyses. L'Oréal plans to gradually switch from the SPOT system (see section 4.4.3.3) to EcoBeautyScore, depending on the categories available.