NIVEA

NIVEA has committed to avoid certain ingredients to lower its environmental impact, including uncertified palm oil or palm oil-derived ingredients, microplastics, harmful suncare ingredients. While it has some ingredient commitments, it still use some ingredients that pose a significant threat to the climate, including parabens, other petrochemical-based ingredients, microplastics, and harmful suncare ingredients. Its parent company, Beiersdorf, has also committed to avoiding certain ingredients to lower its environmental impact. Its products incorporate bio-based and/or biodegradable ingredients. NIVEA doesn't report having any product or company-level certifications.

NIVEA has made efforts to reduce virgin plastic in its product containers, however it still primarily relies on petro-based plastics for its packaging, of a virgin or unknown source, which greatly increases its emissions and waste footprint. It also uses some environmentally-mindful materials in its product containers, including ones that are paper-based and recycled. It has made efforts to minimize the amount of material used in some of its product containers by offering solid formats. It has made efforts to minimize the volume of material used in its secondary or tertiary shipping packaging.

NIVEA shares information on its energy strategy. It uses all renewable electricity to power its own production sites, and its parent company reports using some renewable energy in its offices. Its parent company, Beiersdorf, has general goals for expanding its use of renewable energy in its supply chain. Beiersdorf also implements water conservation measures, including water reduction targets, Closed Circuit Reverse Osmosis (CCRO) tech, and water reuse. NIVEA has a global production span, which is standard for the industry.

NIVEA offers refills, but puts them in packaging that is unidentified or otherwise difficult to dispose of, which adds to landfill waste. It doesn't offer any take back programs for its product containers. It offers bulk sizes for some products, which may help reduce packaging waste. It doesn't provide any guidance to help customers properly recycle or dispose of its products.

NIVEA offers seasonal products or frequent releases, which can encourage overconsumption and production of excess inventory.

Commons is still evaluating this brand's marketing emails.

NIVEA has a prominent sustainability page with comprehensive details on its climate strategy. Its parent company publishes a detailed annual report with a clear, impact-driven strategy and progress reporting. Its last annual report was published in 2024. NIVEA shares a complete list of ingredients used in its products, on a per product basis.

NIVEA's parent company, Beiersdorf, internally measures and publicly reports its company-level emissions in partnership with, or with auditing from, a third party. It includes a breakdown by scope, though it only reports on select scope 3 categories. The last reporting period was 2023. In this most recent update, its estimated emissions footprint was 2,195,426 tons CO2e.

NIVEA has emissions reduction targets for the short-term (1-5 years). Its parent company, Beiersdorf, has SBTi-approved emissions reduction targets for the medium-term (5-10 years) and long-term (10+ years). Beiersdorf has reported on its progress within the past year, and is on track for all of its medium-term targets. Commons couldn't verify that this brand offsets any emissions.

NIVEA's parent company, Beiersdorf, doesn't publish information about its supply chain partners. It traces some of its supply chain, achieving almost 100% palm oil traceability. It publicly shares a supplier code of conduct, which prohibits forced labor, disallows unauthorized subcontracting, prohibits child labor, ensures the right to collective bargaining, and includes environmental clauses. Its code of conduct doesn't ensure a living wage, or establish grievance mechanisms. Beiersdorf doesn't have a stated policy of regularly auditing its supply chain partners, though it does annual assessments and followup audits for higher risk partners.

NIVEA's parent company, Beiersdorf, discloses all of its trade association memberships, including those that are climate-obstructive. It's a member of 1 large climate-obstructive trade associations: Personal Care Products Council. Beiersdorf isn't a member of advocacy organizations advancing climate policy. It doesn't employ any state lobbyists and didn't donate more than $100k to climate-obstructive candidates or PACs from 2018-2024.