The French luxury brand has joined the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT), thus reinforcing its commitment to carefully control the environmental and social impact of its supply chain.
Founded in 2007, UEBT is a non-profit association that promotes responsible sourcing practices that are respectful of people and biodiversity. The UEBT’s standard covers issues such as: conservation of biodiversity; sustainable use of its components; fair prices; living income; respect for indigenous people and local communities; human, children and workers’ rights; local development and food security. This standard, which is applied anywhere in the world, pertains to ingredients such as leaves, roots, seeds, oils, extracts, waxes, colourants and flavours.
Guerlain now joins seventy other companies that are part of UEBT. “Gaining UEBT membership was a crucial step for us, and in line with our commitment to biodiversity. Since 1828 nature has been the source of inspiration for Guerlain products, so we are proud to share with consumers that we have an independently verified commitment to align our sourcing with a standard that covers important social and environmental issues we all care about,” said Cécile Lochard, Guerlain’s Chief Sustainability Officer.
According to Rik Kutsch Lojenga, UEBT’s Executive Director, the iconic French brand is “responding to the ever-rising expectations of consumers today that brands should protect biodiversity and the communities where raw materials are harvested.”
According to a recent report by The Economist Intelligence, searches for sustainable goods have increased globally over the last five years by 71%. The report also cited the 45% growth in companies joining UEBT during the same period, evidence that brands are responding to consumer demand for ethical products.
