Croda introduces sustainability framework for social and environmental progress

UK – Croda Beauty has unveiled a new sustainability strategy, “Beauty of Zero™”, which the company describes as an ambitious roadmap to enable a future where beauty leaves no negative trace, from the planet to the individual particle. 

The framework is built around six pillars: Net Zero, Zero Waste, Zero Water Use Impact, Zero Exploitation, Zero Biodiversity Loss, and Zero Ambiguity. Each pillar targets specific areas where the beauty industry’s footprint can be reduced.

Cara Eaton, Sustainability Director at Croda Beauty, stated, “The shift towards an ambition of zero impact is not simple, but it is necessary.¨

¨We’re committed to partnering with brands as we progress on this journey, offering support through our data, expertise, and science-led solutions, brands will need to progress towards zero with confidence.”

Croda Beauty aligns its Net Zero pillar with the Croda Group’s ambition to achieve net‑zero emissions by 2050. 

The company has set science‑based targets, including a 42% cut in absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse‑gas emissions by 2030 and reductions of 25% in Scope 3 Energy & Industry emissions and 30.3% in Scope 3 Forest, Land & Agriculture emissions over the same period.

The Zero Waste pillar focuses on minimising material loss and maximising resource efficiency across Croda’s operations. 

More than 95% of its functional product portfolio has been reviewed for biodegradability, with about 75% classified as biodegradable, supported by closed‑loop technologies and collaborations that turn by‑products into new feedstocks.

Croda’s Zero Water Use Impact pillar adopts a lifecycle‑wide view of water, aiming to halve operational water‑use impact by 2030 compared with 2018. 

The company places extra focus on high‑water‑risk sites and uses water‑efficient ingredients and biotechnology to reduce water consumption in both manufacturing and consumer‑use phases.

The Zero Exploitation pillar underscores Croda’s commitment to ethical labour and human‑rights standards. 

The company enforces a supplier code of conduct, publishes modern‑slavery statements, pays living wages, and runs due‑diligence programmes and audits in high‑risk agricultural supply chains.

Croda’s Zero Biodiversity Loss pillar targets deforestation and ecosystem damage in key bio‑based supply chains. 

Croda aims to be 100% deforestation‑ and conversion‑free for priority feedstocks by 2030, using satellite‑based monitoring, traceability, plant‑cell culture, and fermentation technologies to protect biodiversity.

Meanwhile, the Zero Ambiguity pillar is designed to cut through greenwashing and data fragmentation. 

Croda builds transparency into ingredients from the start, using recognised methodologies, third‑party validation, and digital datasets so brands can communicate clear, evidence‑based sustainability claims.

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