Protecting the health of the people and places we love is our number-one priority—and that means committing to science-based climate solutions. We know the window to act is small, and we’re committed to being a part of the solution. Today, we are excited to announce the transition from our existing goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 to our new climate goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
We’re committed to rooting our climate action in science—like we do our ingredient selection process—which is why we’ve made the decision to take on a more aggressive goal that is in line with science. We’ve taken the important step to register this goal with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Wondering why we’ve made this change? It’s simple. The stakes are too high not to act and the threat will continue to grow unless drastic action is taken. We’re committing to doing the real work and directly reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of paying for offsets, we’re pledging to hold ourselves accountable and change the way we operate our business. By following the SBTi’s Net-Zero guidance (that is “science-based”), we’ll be setting the emission reduction targets required to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
An Overview of our Climate Goals, Past and Present:
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Net-Zero Standard (our new goal) is considered the gold standard for corporate climate action. This is a goal that requires a company to reduce its absolute emissions across its whole supply chain, in order to support the target to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C, as agreed in the 2015 Paris Climate Conference. Our goal is intended to align and be validated with the Science Based Targets initiative’s Net-Zero Standard, which provides a common and robust framework that empowers companies to set validated net-zero targets aligned with science.
“Beautycounter commits to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain no later than 2050, using a science-based approach.”
Carbon neutrality targets (our previous goal) are often not as ambitious as they sound, because it is a commitment that relies heavily on carbon offsets and unproven technologies. This type of goal is not a promise to reduce emissions. In order to claim “carbon neutrality,” companies must counterbalance CO2 emissions with carbon offsets in order to reach net zero. The problem is, this may conceal the need for deeper emissions reductions that are in line with what climate science requires for the world to keep global warming to 1.5°C. Carbon neutrality claims also do not necessarily cover non-CO2 greenhouse gasses. The SBTi does not validate carbon neutrality claims.
You can read more about this announcement and Beautycounter’s commitment to climate action on our updated climate page here.