As the world prepares for COP30 in Brazil, the beauty industry stands at a critical juncture. The urgency of climate action has never been clearer, and the upcoming conference presents an opportunity to transform good intentions into binding commitments that will reshape how we formulate, package and distribute beauty products globally.
Beyond Pledges to Performance
Previous climate conferences have given us frameworks and targets. COP30 must deliver something more concrete: accountability mechanisms that ensure industries translate their net-zero pledges into measurable action. For the beauty sector, this means moving beyond voluntary commitments to standardised reporting that tracks progress across the entire value chain.
I expect to see strengthened guidelines around Scope 3 emissions – the indirect emissions that occur throughout a product’s lifecycle. These account for the majority of the beauty industry’s carbon footprint, yet they remain the hardest to measure and manage. Clear protocols for calculating and reporting these emissions will be essential.
Rethinking Ingredients and Formulations
The beauty industry’s ingredient sourcing has significant environmental implications. COP30 could establish clearer guidelines around biodegradability standards, particularly for rinse-off products that directly impact water systems. We need internationally recognised benchmarks that go beyond current fragmented approaches.
There is also an opportunity to address forest-risk commodities like palm oil and mica. Whilst voluntary certification schemes exist, mandatory due diligence requirements – similar to the EU’s upcoming regulations – could become a global standard. This would level the playing field and ensure that sustainability isn’t a competitive disadvantage but a baseline expectation.
The Packaging Paradox
Packaging represents one of the beauty industry’s most visible environmental challenges. I am hopeful that COP30 will drive consensus on circular economy principles – moving beyond recycling targets to embrace refillable systems, standardised materials and extended producer responsibility.
The conference could catalyse agreement on what “recyclable” truly means. Currently, packaging labelled as recyclable often lacks the infrastructure to actually be recycled in many markets. We need guidelines that consider not just technical recyclability but practical, accessible recycling systems worldwide.
Energy and Emissions: The Manufacturing Reality
Manufacturing contributes significantly to the beauty sector’s carbon footprint. COP30 should address the energy transition in emerging markets where much of beauty production occurs. This means not just setting emissions targets but providing pathways and support for manufacturers to adopt renewable energy, improve efficiency and implement cleaner technologies.
I also expect discussions around supply chain transparency. Beauty brands must know – and disclose – the emissions profile of their suppliers. This visibility drives improvement and allows consumers to make informed choices.
A Collaborative Path Forward
The beauty industry has made progress on sustainability, but individual action isn’t enough. COP30 can establish the collaborative frameworks we need – industry-wide standards, technology-sharing mechanisms and financing structures that support smaller players in making necessary transitions.
As we head into this conference, the beauty sector must arrive ready to commit to more than aspirational targets. There is still a long way to go in terms of compliance, however, the industry continues to look forward. Specific, time-bound actions on packaging innovation, ingredient sustainability and emissions reduction will be the way to go. The guidelines that emerge from COP30 will determine whether we are truly building a sustainable future or simply greenwashing our way through the climate crisis.
The question isn’t whether the beauty industry can afford to transform. It’s whether we can afford not to.
— Edyta Kurek is Senior Vice President and Head of India and Indonesia at Oriflame.
