The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
The beauty giant said Tuesday it is aiming to make the majority of its fragrances using ethanol from captured industrial carbon emissions by 2023. The company has signed a letter of intent to partner with carbon recycling company LanzaTech to manufacture the ingredient.
Carbon capture techniques that suck up industrial emissions have existed for decades, but it’s costly and the technology has struggled to scale. LanzaTech offers one route to commercialisation. The company recycles industrial gasses like carbon dioxide produced in steel manufacturing into ethanol, a key ingredient in perfume.
Coty’s scientists worked with LanzaTech and its production partners for two years to develop a high-purity ethanol suitable for use in fragrances. The beauty company’s embrace of the technology comes amid heightened awareness of the fashion and beauty industries’ environmental impact. Coty has outlined an ambition to reduce its absolute carbon dioxide emissions 30 percent by 2030.
“Coty is focused on creating outstanding products that are truly clean and green,” Coty chief executive Sue Nabi said in a statement. The shift to carbon-captured ethanol is “not only the right thing to do, but it makes commercial sense too — with today’s consumer rightly demanding that their favourite brands share their commitment to sustainability.”
After the SAC’s Higg Index became a central focus for greenwashing allegations, the trade group commissioned an independent review. Its recommendations include scrapping a stand-alone materials assessment and more work to improve the data.
Soaring luxury goods prices have boosted turnover at companies like LVMH and Kering, helping them to report reductions in their ‘emissions intensity’ — the volume of planet-warming gases released relative to revenue.
This week, New York played host to one of the world’s largest climate confabs, but there was little visible presence from fashion’s biggest companies. If the industry doesn’t pull up a seat at the table, it risks getting left behind.
The Chinese company hopes to alleviate its environmental impact through programmes like EvoluShein, which focuses on producing garments out of recycled polyester and reducing waste from unsold clothes.