Beauty conglomerate The Estée Lauder Companies has committed to having a 100% electric fleet by 2030.
The group has also become the first prestige beauty business to join The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative, which aims to pool resources from green-thinking companies to accelerate the transition to electric fleets in the corporate world.
The Estée Lauder Companies global corporate fleet, which comprises owned and leased sales and executive vehicles, has been earmarked as the group’s new focus area within its wider climate action strategy to reduce direct emissions.
The switch to a 100% electric fleet will greatly contribute towards reducing the company’s Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions, according to the group, as it works towards its 2030 science-based targets.
Nancy Mahon, senior vice president, global corporate citizenship & sustainability at The Estée Lauder Companies, said the group has “a deep commitment to helping accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future”.
“Our hope is that our commitment to clean transportation will not only help to reduce our impact and engage our employees in our commitment, but also inspire similar action by others in the industry and beyond,” she added.
The Estée Lauder Companies said it achieved its goal to source 100% renewable electricity for its direct operations by 2020. But the deployment of an electric fleet – including plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles – is viewed as an important continued step forward.
To date, the business has ordered electric vehicles for testing and deployment in its Europe, the Middle East, and Africa region. Efforts to move to use low-emissions vehicles when working with third-party partners and suppliers are also under way – for example, local transportation vehicles it uses in Canada and Switzerland are already transitioning from diesel engine to electric.
Electric vehicle charging stations have also been implemented at its sites in the following locations; Melville, New York; Blaine, Minnesota; Petersfield, United Kingdom; Markham, Ontario; and its newest distribution centre in Galgenen, Switzerland.
Read more about alternatively fuelled vehicles in retail on Green Retail World
[Image credit: Graham Diggines]