PARIS — L’Oréal is to become a founding partner of the Women4Climate global initiative, which sets out to contribute to the empowerment of female leaders in the fight against climate change.
The world’s largest beauty company announced the news on Wednesday at a conference organized by C40 Cities at Columbia University in New York, which was headed by Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris and C40 chair.
L’Oréal’s role in the program is multifaceted. The group is to mentor young women who develop ways to limit the impacts of climate change in every city of the C40 taking part in the program. Leading women from within the company will support them and strengthen their leadership abilities.
L’Oréal is to support as well — by funding university chairs globally — research into gender-specific consequences of climate change. With the C40 Cities, the group will help select and finance projects that respond to gender-specific challenges in fighting climate change, the company said.
Related Galleries
“At L’Oréal, we consider it strategic to engage with C40 women mayors to empower the next generation of women leaders in fighting climate change,” Alexandra Palt, L’Oréal’s chief sustainability officer, said in a statement. “This commitment reflects two of L’Oréal’s major orientations: gender equality and climate protection. Women will play a critical role in tackling climate change. It is our responsibility to empower and support them.”
You May Also Like
“The private sector is a key partner in the effort to empower women and fight climate change,” said Hidalgo, who highlighted that L’Oréal is the first corporate sponsor to support the Women4Climate initiative.
Established and led by cities, the C40 sets out to tackle climate change and steer action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, and at the same time increase the health, wellbeing and economic opportunities of people in urban areas. The organization links 90 of the world’s largest cities and represents more than 650 million people, plus 25 percent of the economy around the globe. Michael Bloomberg is president of C40’s board.
At L’Oréal — a longtime proponent of gender equality — women make up 46 percent of the board, and 58 percent of its brands are led by females. “Women have also an important role in the supply chain of L’Oréal at the heart of communities that produce the raw materials of plant origin used by L’Oréal,” it said.
A sweeping reduction of carbon dioxide emissions has also been a focal point for the company. Last year, the group decreased such emissions by 67 percent in absolute terms from a 2005 baseline as its production volume rose 29 percent.
L’Oréal’s sustainability program for 2020 is called Sharing Beauty With All.