Environment

Striving for the ideal of a global environment that supports lives of vibrancy.

‘Shiseido’ comes from a phrase in the Chinese classical text, I Ching: ‘Praise the virtues of the Earth, which nurtures new life and brings forth significant values.’ Respect for the planet, society and people has been embedded in our culture since our foundation in 1872.

In everything we do — from development and procurement to production, use, and disposal — we work to preserve the global environment that we all depend on. That is how we create sustainable value. In this chapter, we report on the strategic actions we have taken to contribute to the health of our planet.

Reducing Our Environmental Footprint

The impact of climate change, including extreme weather events, is becoming more apparent every year. It is important that companies make strong sustainability commitments and take actions toward solving environmental issues.
We fully understand and support the “1.5°C goal.” ^* In 2021, we disclosed our medium-to-long-term targets for the reduction of CO₂ emissions — which account for the majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions — as well as the reduction of water consumption and waste. To achieve these targets, we are taking action across all areas of our business and value chains, and promoting initiatives to reduce our environmental footprint in cooperation with various stakeholders.

*The 1.5°C scenario refers to the long-term temperature goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.

We are reducing the environmental footprint of our activities by taking actions in three key areas:

・CO₂
We will be carbon neutral by 2026^*1.
・Water
We will reduce our water consumption by 40% by 2026^*2.
・Waste
We will send zero waste to landfills by 2022^*3.

*1：At all our sites. Scope 1 and 2.
*2：For all our sites, intensity per sales, compared with 2014.
*3：For owned factories.

Reducing Our Environmental Footprint

Developing Sustainable Products

“Let the product speak for itself.” These words from Shiseido’s founder and first president are reflected in our corporate mission and product development. We strive to provide new value to consumers by prioritizing high safety and quality standards, as well as excellent functionality, design and usability.
We have redefined our original research and development (R&D) philosophy — passed down for over 100 years —
as “DYNAMIC HARMONY: a world where contrasting or complementary forces come together, exquisitely creating fusion and entirely new forms of beauty.” Under the “Premium/Sustainability” pillar, one of the five research approaches, we will step up to the challenge of creating sustainable value unique to Shiseido, which balances the satisfaction stemming from the results, high-quality design, and feel of our products with respect for and coexistence between people, society, and the global environment.
We will contribute to the realization of a sustainable world through the development of our own technologies and in collaboration with external parties. This includes packaging initiatives that aim to make more effective use of limited resources, as well as raw material procurement and formula development that minimize our environmental footprint.

We use innovation to minimize the environmental impact of our products and disclose our policies on product development:

・Packaging
We will achieve 100% sustainable packaging by 2025^*4.
・Formula/Ingredients
We aim to reduce our environmental and social impact by using sustainably sourced raw materials that are selected in consideration of safety, the environment and ethics.

*4：For sale of products with plastic packaging.

Developing Sustainable Products

Promoting Sustainable and Responsible Procurement

At Shiseido, we utilize the world’s natural resources to develop products and operate our business. We understand these resources are limited, and as such, we place the utmost importance on the sustainable and responsible procurement of raw materials at every stage of the supply chain. This includes the reduction and reuse of resources from the perspective of environmental protection, biodiversity, and in support of a circular economy. In all our activities, we also work to address and strengthen our response to issues such as human rights.

We work with suppliers to procure raw materials in consideration of environmental protection, biodiversity and human rights:

・Sustainable Procurement
Palm Oil: We will achieve 100% sustainable palm oil^*1 usage by 2026.
Paper: We will achieve 100% sustainable paper^*2 usage for product packaging by 2023.
・Supplier Assessment Program
We aim to create a sustainable supply chain.