Aesop

Aesop has made some ingredient commitments to lower its environmental impact, including by avoiding parabens and uncertified palm oil or palm oil-derived ingredients. Its parent company, L'Oreal Groupe, makes overall commitments to avoid phthalates, microplastics, and select other petrochemical-based ingredients. While it has made commitments, Aesop still uses some ingredients that pose a significant threat to the climate, including harmful sun care ingredients. and select other petrochemical-based ingredients, Its products incorporate bio-based and/or biodegradable ingredients. It carries products that have certifications from Leaping Bunny, . Aesop is a B Corp.

Aesop hasn't made any efforts to concentrate its products or minimize its containers, which increases shipping emissions and packaging volumes. It has made efforts to reduce virgin plastic in its product containers, and reports that more than 3/4 of its plastic bottles are rPET. It also uses recyclable glass, aluminum, and FSC-certified paper in its packaging. Its parent company, L'Oreal Groupe, has multiple initiatives to improve its packaging materials overall.

Aesop and its parent company, L'Oreal Groupe, share information on their overall energy strategies. Aesop uses 100% renewable energy for its offices and stores. L'Oreal Groupe uses a majority of renewable energy to power its production sites, and has targets for expanding its use of renewable energy to 100% by 2025, and is on track at 97%. L'Oreal Groupe implements energy efficiency measures in its production sites and corporate offices. It implements water conservation measures, including working to increase its water recycling and wastewater quality. Aesop has a global production span, which is standard for the industry.

Aesop utilizes alternative models for some products to avert waste, including offering a takeback program. Its takeback program, Rinse and Return, is available in select countries and allows customers to recycle old Aesop containers. It offers in-store refills and bulk sizes for some products, which may help reduce packaging waste.

Aesop doesn't frequently release seasonal or limited edition products, which helps prevent production of excess inventory.

Commons is still evaluating this brand's marketing emails.

Aesop has a sustainability page with high-level details on its climate strategy, but this page is hard to find and may not exist on its US website. It previously published a brand-level sustainability report, but hasn't provided an update since 2023. Its parent company, L'Oreal Groupe, publishes a detailed annual report with a clear, impact-driven strategy and progress reporting that was last updated in 2024. Aesop shares a complete list of ingredients used in its products, on a per product basis.

Aesop's parent company, L'Oreal Groupe, 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 and shares select product-level LCAs. The last reporting period was 2023. In its most recent update, its estimated emissions footprint was 8,173,101 tons CO2e. Aesop previously measured and reported on its brand-level emissions, and in its 2023 update its brand-level total was 57,693 t CO2e.

Aesop's parent company, L'Oreal Groupe, has SBTi-approved emissions reduction targets for the medium-term (5-10 years), long-term (10+ years). It has reported on its progress within the past year, and is on track for some of its targets, but is very off track for its scope 3 target. Commons couldn't find evidence that this brand currently offsets any emissions, though it shares its investments in its €50 million L'Oreal Fund for Nature Regeneration. Aesop most recently reported on its offsetting strategy in 2023, the same year it was purchased by L'Oreal Groupe, so it's unclear if these initiatives are still occurring.

Aesop publishes information about its supply chain partners, disclosing their geographic locations. Its parent company, L'Oreal Groupe, is working on tracing the full supply chain for its biobased ingredients. L'Oreal Groupe publicly shares a supplier code of conduct, which prohibits forced labor, prohibits child labor, establishes grievance mechanisms, disallows unauthorized subcontracting. Its code of conduct doesn't ensure the right to collective bargaining where not allowed by law, ensure a living wage, include environmental clauses. L'Oreal Groupe has a stated policy of regularly auditing its supply chain partners, which can mitigate human and environmental risks.

Aesop's parent company, L'Oreal Groupe, doesn't openly disclose its climate-obstructive trade association memberships. L'Oreal Groupe is member of 1 large climate-obstructive trade association: Personal Care Products Council, and belongs to some pro-climate advocacy orgs, including: Ceres. It employs state lobbyists with few fossil fuel aligned clients. It didn't donate more than $100k to climate-obstructive candidates or PACs from 2018-2024.