Consumer goods, retailers showcase green initiatives at expo
Through the theme of "The Lipstick Odyssey, A Quest for Carbon Neutrality," L'Oréal is bringing the idea of sustainable beauty to visitors and customers.
Leading consumer goods companies and retail sites hope to be forerunners in creating consumer awareness of the sustainable and green economy, a key element in driving sustainable and responsible spending.
At the 2023 Shanghai Carbon Neutral Technology, Products and Achievements Expo, a wide range of solutions and services have highlighted companies' latest efforts in the green economy.
L'Oréal has included 10 industry partners in its latest carbon-cutting campaign, including logistics firm Cainiao, raw material provider Bloomage BioTechnology Co Ltd, and packaging material suppliers such as San Ying Packaging (Jiangsu) Co and Stora Enso.
"Our sustainability program 'L'Oréal for the Future' coincides with China's push for a green economy and we are committed to bringing all Chinese consumers together on a journey of sustainable development," said Fabrice Megarbane, president of L'Oréal North Asia Zone and chief executive officer of L'Oréal China.
Through the theme of "The Lipstick Odyssey, A Quest for Carbon Neutrality," L'Oreal is bringing the idea of sustainable beauty to visitors and customers.
By 2025, all of the company's sites will achieve carbon neutrality by improving energy efficiency and using 100 percent renewable energy.
L'Oréal's Suzhou plant became carbon neutral in June 2019. The company's North Asia Zone is the first of the company's zones worldwide to achieve carbon neutrality across all operated sites.
Lifestyle and on-demand delivery site Ele.me said it has accumulated 50 million users with their own "carbon wallets" since its launch more than a year ago, and has offered energy-saving options such as not including disposable cutlery with food takeaways.
Through its latest partnership with Henan Bccy Environmental Energy Co Ltd and the China Foundation for Rural Development, Ele.me encourages users to make donations for rural elementary schools by contributing their carbon points.
A number of products using recycled materials such as disposable lunch boxes made by Ele.me and partners were showcased at the Carbon Neutrality Expo.
Market watchers and authorities pointed out that the industry needed a systematic blueprint to become better integrated with user experience.
Gu Chunting, deputy director of the Shanghai Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said carbon neutrality strategies had become an integral part of the city's initiatives to restore business confidence and boost economic development.
The four-day expo aims to bring together different parties to enhance exchanges and co-development of new technologies to drive synergies along the whole value chain.
Consumer goods companies need to to better connect their consumption and supply sides to fully leverage consumers' brand awareness and maximize the whole industry chain's adoption of low carbon solutions, he said.
"Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) practices of the retail industry present huge opportunities for further growth as consumption confidence grows and new momentum can be unlocked thanks to the overall ecological awareness," said Steven Zhong, lead partner of ESG strategy & sustainable value chain advisory at PwC China.
ESG performance was closely related to corporate financial performance, and superior practices would earn consumer trust and drive strong business growth, he added.
"Chinese consumer good brands and retailers have begun to explore new formats and practices of sustainability, but there are still significant challenges in areas such as raw material sourcing, carbon footprint, and chemical safety," he said.
