Hamburg, October 7, 2024 – Beiersdorf, one of the world’s leading skin care companies, detailed its ambitious sustainability targets at the first Hamburg Sustainability Conference. The company has committed itself to becoming Net Zero by 2045 and is working to cut the emissions of its entire value chain (Scope 1, 2 and 3) by 90%.
In an interview with Sabine Nallinger, Managing Director of Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft (Alliance for Climate and Economy) Vincent Warnery said: “According to the current state of science, there is zero alternative to Net Zero. At Beiersdorf, sustainability is a central component of our corporate strategy ‘Win with Care’ and we have set ourselves ambitious sustainability targets.” Vincent Warnery emphasized the important role networks and collaboration play in climate protection: “Climate protection requires joint efforts. We live in one ecosystem; politics and industry have to act as one. While strong, harmonized regulations are necessary, too many can hinder competitiveness and slow down the progress of smart innovation.”
Beiersdorf’s vision to become the best skin care company is inseparably tied to its pioneering role in climate protection. The prestigious awards CDP Triple-A for 2022 and 2023 highlight this leading position in the areas of climate, forests and water. Since 2018, Beiersdorf has made considerable progress in its decarbonization efforts. At the end of 2023, its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions had already fallen by 19%. By 2025, the company will have achieved a 30% reduction in all GHG emissions.
Product innovation and transformation are the key to becoming Net Zero, which involves making changes to ingredients and packaging to cut greenhouse gases by 50% by 2032. One impressive example is the introduction of the Eucerin refill jar that uses 90% less packaging. As part of its collaborative relationship with suppliers, Beiersdorf promotes the use of recycled material and systematically supports emission-reduction efforts throughout the entire value chain.
“Sustainability is an obligation, not an option,” Warnery pointed out. “Our transformation includes our entire value chain, and it needs close collaboration with our suppliers. Additionally, we aim to make our production plants completely climate neutral as quickly as possible. By January 2025, all our EU factories will operate climate-neutral, our global target for all our production centers is 2030.”
The long-term vision is clear: Through innovation, collaboration and rigorous action, Beiersdorf intends to solidify its leading position in skin care and to simultaneously play a trailblazing role in global climate protection.
At the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC), leading minds from politics, business, science and civil society plan the implementation of joint processes to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The first HSC will take place on October 7 and 8, 2024 at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and Hamburg City Hall. More about the conference, the program and the speakers at www.sustainability-conference.org.
