L'Oreal Signs The Climate Declaration In Support Of Climate Change Policy

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- L'Oreal joined forces in Washington, DC today with 32 other leading companies and consumer brands to urge regulators and legislators to put climate change on the federal policy agenda. Recognizing the business risks associated with climate change and having been affected by Superstorm Sandy, as were many businesses in the northeast, L'Oreal has taken concrete and meaningful steps to reduce its own carbon emissions.

Firmly committed to managing and reducing its own carbon emissions, last year L'Oreal was named among a select group of corporations in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI) for its leading practices in the data management of carbon emissions and for its participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project's Supply Chain Program. It was also named household products sector leader by ClimateCounts for its practices and achievements in the management of carbon emissions.

"Having reduced our own GHG emissions by 38.8% since 2005, we have credibly demonstrated our commitment to addressing the problem but recognize that we need the regulatory framework and incentives to accelerate changes in the areas of renewable energy development and CO2 emissions reductions," said Miguel Castellanos, L'Oreal Executive Managing Director on Environment, Health and Safety. "In addition to developing plans for greater resilience to the extreme weather effects we have experienced because of climate change, we understand the need for multi-stakeholder engagement to address this complex issue."

The company utilizes a variety of global strategies to achieve its ambitious goals to reduce GHGs in addition to its other environmental impacts. These include the investment and commitment to solar energy at its facilities in the US, Mexico, India and Germany, the use of geothermal in Chevilly-Larue, France, development of biomethanisation plant in Libramont, Belgium, wind turbines in Mexico, and Hydro electric in the US.

US solar installations including a 1,303 kWp rooftop system on its Clark, New Jersey Research & Innovation laboratory, a 1.4 Megawatt Photovoltaic rooftop system on its Piscataway, New Jersey manufacturing facility, a phase I 1.0 Megawatt Photovoltaic rooftop system and a phase II 761 kWp ground-mounted system at its Franklin, New Jersey manufacturing facility, a phase I 851 kWp rooftop system at its Cranbury, New Jersey Distribution Center, a whopping 2,402 kWp 600,000 square foot roof-top system at its Monmouth Junction, New Jersey Distribution Center, a parking canopy-rooftop system with charging stations for alternative fuel vehicles at its Berkeley Heights, New Jersey administrative office and a 13 kW elevated solar canopy at its North Little Rock, Arkansas manufacturing facility. With these addition of these new solar installations, L'Oreal estimates that in 2013 it will be among the top 10 companies with the greatest solar capacity in the US.

L'Oreal will continue to innovate to reduce its own operational footprint and implement innovative programs to meet the significant long-term environmental targets for its factories and warehouses which are measured on a like-for-like basis. They include:

About L'Oreal
L'Oreal, the world's leading beauty company, has catered to all forms of beauty in the world for over 100 years and has built an unrivalled portfolio of 28 international, diverse and complementary brands. With sales amounting to 22.4 billion euros in 2012, L'Oreal employs 72,600 people worldwide. Last year it manufactured and shipped 5.8 billion products in its 42 factories and 145 distribution centers around the world.

About Ceres   
Ceres is an advocate for sustainability leadership. Ceres mobilizes a powerful coalition of investors, companies and public interest groups to accelerate and expand the adoption of sustainable business practices and solutions to build a healthy global economy. Ceres also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a network of 100 institutional investors with collective assets totaling more than $11 trillion. For more information, visit http://www.ceres.org  

About BICEP   
BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy) is an advocacy coalition of businesses committed to working with policy makers to pass meaningful energy and climate legislation enabling a rapid transition to a low carbon, 21st century economy – an economy that will create new jobs and stimulate economic growth while stabilizing our planet's fragile climate. BICEP is a project of Ceres. For more information and a list of member companies visit: http://www.ceres.org/bicep

SOURCE L'Oreal