Sustainability at ELEMIS
Our Vision
Our products are rooted in the beauty and power of nature – so we’ve made commitments to protect land and ocean ecosystems, and the people we work with. We aim to take positive action on climate change and create opportunity and belonging for the people we work with. There’s always more to do – but being a certified B Corporation® holds us accountable to our promise.
Our work is guided by a materiality assessment that helps us identify the areas where we can have the biggest impact across environment, people and governance. From this, we focus on three key priorities: nature, climate and people.
If you’d like to understand more about how we measure our impact and progress, take a look at our Group Cares report.
Nature
Though it’s very ambitious, our aim at ELEMIS is to become nature positive – giving back more than we take. This means addressing the five main causes of nature loss: how we use the land and the sea, the exploitation of natural resources, climate change, pollution and invasive species. Only when nature thrives can we live together in a world that’s healthy and well.
What this looks like for us:
- Working with the Marine Conservation Society (https://www.mcsuk.org/) to push for greater sea protection, including a ban of bottom-trawling on marine-protected areas in the UK
- For 95% of our rinse-off formulas to be made of 95% easily biodegradable ingredients by 2030
- For 100% of our land footprint to be managed in a way that supports biodiversity preservation and regeneration directly by 2040
- Conducting and learning from the findings of our UK pollinator study for World Bee Day
- Growing our British starflower using sustainable farming methods, such as pollinator-friendly fields, that support biodiversity
- Sourcing roses from farms that nurture natural ecosystems
- Using bioengineered ingredients to help us take less from the land and sea
What this looks like for us:
- Working with the Marine Conservation Society to push for greater sea protection, including a ban of bottom-trawling on marine-protected areas in the UK
- For 95% of our rinse-off formulas to be made of 95% easily biodegradable ingredients by 2030
- For 100% of our land footprint to be managed in a way that supports biodiversity preservation and regeneration directly by 2040
- Conducting and learning from the findings of our UK pollinator study for World Bee Day
- Growing our British starflower using sustainable farming methods, such as pollinator-friendly fields, that support biodiversity
- Sourcing roses from farms that nurture natural ecosystems
- Using bioengineered ingredients to help us take less from the land and sea
Climate
We know we must approach every product and service we create with an awareness of its wider impact. Aligned with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI)*, we’ve challenged our brand to achieve Net Zero by 2050, with ongoing tracking every year to identify and reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. From land use, freight and packaging to what we apply to our skin and wash down the drain, our focuses are ambitious and wide-ranging.
*2022 Validation of Group L’Occitane’s Net Zero Targets by SBTi
What this looks like for us:
- Reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2031, in line with Science Based Targets Initiatives (SBTi)*
- Focusing on the UN’s 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted as part of its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
- Measuring and publicly disclosing our greenhouse gas emissions every year, with verified reduction targets* set to achieve Net Zero by 2050
- Continually tracking our processes, with a focus on packaging, ingredients, transportation and the rinse-off phase of products, to identify and reduce our carbon emissions
- Working with the RSPB, Europe’s largest conservation charity, to support the long-term restoration, monitoring and maintenance of the Forsinard Flows nature reserve in Scotland, helping to capture carbon emissions, improve water quality, and support flood management and biodiversity
- Requiring suppliers to pass an EcoVadis CSR assessment (https://ecovadis.com/glossary/csr-assessment/), a globally recognised sustainability ratings provider
- Implementing in-store recycle schemes as part of The Great British Beauty Clean Up, an annual initiative led by The British Beauty Council to tackle beauty waste
People
As a global, growing company, we respect and value everyone involved in bringing ELEMIS to life. We’re committed to creating fair and supportive environments for everyone we work with – from farmers and growers to partners, customers and employees. Our goal is to enable everyone to feel they can thrive with ELEMIS.
What this looks like for us:
- Creating trusted workspaces in our stores, offices and wider communities, where everyone is welcome and celebrated
- Working with The King’s Trust with a focus on strengthening pathways into the beauty and wellness sector – including work placements at ELEMIS, along with wider fundraising initiatives, employee volunteering, mentoring and skills-based workshops
- Ensuring justice, equity, diversity and inclusion for employees, customers, partners and communities
- Prioritising customer safety, with a target of receiving fewer than 0.5% complaints and reactions
- Protecting customer data through strict internal targets and continuous monitoring*
- Being part of the Living Wage Foundation, an independent UK organisation that sets the Real Living Wage
*Reviewed every two years, next review 2028
Certified B Corporation®
Being a Certified B Corporation ® means we’re globally recognised as a company that balances profit alongside social and environmental considerations. B Corp status requires us to be transparent about how we do this – and holds us continuously accountable.
ELEMIS is globally recognised and endorsed as a business that thinks beyond profit; a business contributing to a world that’s more inclusive and sustainable. As a B Corp, we’re among good company, joining a like-minded community that understands the need to come together collaboratively to face the challenges of sustainability together.
We want to become the most sustainable premium British skincare brand – but we know we have more to do. We hope you’ll stay on the journey with us as we work towards achieving our goal.
If you’d like to learn more about our specific policies and practices, please take a look at the following documents that provide further information.
