Estée Lauder hits 2030 water and waste reduction milestones ahead of time

The Estée Lauder Companies, parent of brands including Clinique, M·A·C and La Mer, released its fiscal 2026 Social Impact and Sustainability Report on Oct. 28, covering July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The company says it has already exceeded two of its 2030 commitments — cutting water withdrawal at its plants and waste at its manufacturing and distribution sites — and is making progress on emissions, packaging and philanthropy aimed at women and girls.

The report tracks progress against a set of social and environmental goals for 2030 across the company’s brands, operations and value chain, according to the company’s announcement.

Goals featuring a clear objective

Commitment	Target	Fiscal 2026 result	Status, per the company
Water withdrawn at owned plants (vs. 2019)	Cut at least 50% by 2030	−55%	Exceeded
Waste at manufacturing and distribution sites (vs. 2023)	Cut at least 15% by 2030	−33%	Exceeded
RSPO-certified palm oil	At least 95% every year	97%	Met
Philanthropy for women and girls	$50 million by 2030	More than $16 million	In progress
Employee giving and volunteering	$10 million by 2030	$2.5 million	In progress

The enterprise adds that no industrial waste was sent to landfills from its production, distribution, and innovation facilities. Furthermore, the water baseline was recalculated this current year to account for the broader reach of the target, while palm oil is tracked on a calendar-year basis and leaves out components that the firm does not procure directly.

Emissions and energy

Estée Lauder reports a 44% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions — covering direct operations and acquired energy — alongside a nearly 23% drop in value-chain Scope 3 emissions, measured against a fiscal 2018 baseline. Both baselines underwent recalculation in 2026 utilizing updated methodologies and data, rendering direct comparisons with previous disclosures more challenging.

The company says renewable electricity covered 100% of its direct operations for the seventh year in a row, through a mix of on-site generation, utility contracts, energy attribute certificates and a virtual power purchase agreement.

Packaging and products

Sixty-seven percent of packaging is designed to be recyclable, 21% of packaging material is post-consumer recycled, and 94% of the fiber in paper packaging is responsibly sourced and certified by FSC, SFI or PEFC. These figures partially exclude DECIEM and Dr.Jart+.

The report adds a new goal: assessing all of the company’s own-formula products with life-cycle analysis and eco-design criteria by 2030. The company says the tool follows ISO 14040 and 14044 standards and the European Union’s Product Environmental Footprint method. It also says several brands earned GreenCircle certification, without naming them.

Health, safety and philanthropy

The organization’s Breast Cancer Campaign alongside its philanthropic foundation has channeled over $167 million toward investigation, educational programs, and healthcare support, which encompasses upwards of $131 million dedicated to studies via the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Regarding workplace safety, the organization documents over 350 facility enhancement initiatives and notes that its objective for total recordable incident frequency was successfully achieved. Its initiatives dedicated to women and girls comprise M·A·C’s VIVA GLAM; the Estée Lauder Emerging Leaders Fund, which has provided training to upwards of 600 directors across more than 80 nations; and BEAUTY&YOU India, a project empowering female founders.

President and CEO Stéphane de La Faverie attributed the performance to the company’s legacy of eight decades alongside its dedication to women, environmental preservation, and breast cancer awareness. Nancy Mahon, the Chief Sustainability Officer, noted that the objective involves translating these insights into actionable product creation and clearer communication with buyers.