The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) was recognized by global environmental non-profit CDP as a leader on corporate climate action by once again achieving the highest score of A for its climate change disclosure. ELC was scored alongside nearly 12,000 companies that disclosed their environmental impact, joining the top 200 high-performing companies on the A List.
ELC is proud to have achieved a place on the prestigious CDP Climate A List for the second consecutive year. The companys consistently strong performance reflects its deep commitment to climate action and to the highest level of transparency around its environmental impact.
ELC maintained its high score in the CDP Climate disclosure by continuing its strong track record of taking decisive action to address climate change. After achieving Net Zero emissions and 100% renewable electricity across its direct operations in 2020, the company set ambitious Science-Based Targets to further reduce emissions across the supply chain.
At ELC, our climate action efforts are one part of our broader ESG strategy to deliver meaningful impact across the value chain and contribute to a stable climate, said Fabrizio Freda, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Estée Lauder Companies. Looking ahead, we will continue to leverage the strengths of our business to address the challenges facing the communities where we live and work from environmental issues, to racial and gender inequity, to public health. We are honored to once again be recognized in CDPs Climate A List and are thankful to our dedicated teams who continue to drive our global sustainability and social impact efforts every day.
In addition to maintaining and expanding climate efforts in 2021, ELC also took targeted actions to address water stewardship and deforestation, as reflected in its CDP Water and Forests disclosure scores.
ELC was awarded an A- score for its water disclosure due to expanded water stewardship initiatives across the business in 2021. These efforts included strengthening water accounting methodologies, improving water-related risk responses, developing an internal water stewardship statement to guide best practices, as well as completion of Watershed Source Vulnerability Assessments to mitigate regional water risks.
ELC also earned A- scores for its CDP Forests Palm Oil and Timber responses. With palm oil a key focus area for both ELC and its stakeholders, the company increased the level of traceability for this ingredient, strengthened its forests-related risk responses, and released a Palm Oil Action Plan to address palm-based ingredients (palm oil and its derivatives).
Paul Simpson, CEO of CDP, said: Many congratulations to all the companies on this years A List. Taking the lead on environmental transparency and action is one of the most important steps businesses can make, even more so in the year of COP26 and the IPCCs Sixth Assessment Report. The scale of the risk to businesses from climate change, water insecurity and deforestation can no longer be ignored, and we know the opportunities of action far outweigh the risks of inaction. Leadership from the private sector is essential for securing global ambitions for a net-zero, nature positive and equitable world. Our A List celebrates those companies who are preparing themselves to excel in the economy of the future by taking action today.
CDP is a leading framework for disclosing climate-related information to the public. ELC has submitted written responses to the CDP Climate Change questionnaire for over ten years, providing information about the companys impact on climate change.
For more information on ELCs commitments and targets on climate, visit the companys fiscal year 2021 Social Impact & Sustainability Report.
To view the full list of companies that made this years CDP A List, along with all other public company scores, visit https://www.cdp.net/en.