L'Oreal, the world's largest beauty and cosmetics company, has committed to remove forest destruction from its products by 2020.

 

Top brands like Garnier, Diesel, Lancôme, Giorgio Armani and Yves St Laurent will no longer contribute to forest destruction following this promise by the world's biggest beauty products company.

 

However the company has granted itself until 2020 to achieve this objective in full - far longer than necessary, say campaigners.

 

Among the biggest drivers of deforestation today is palm oil. A boom in this commodity, driven by demand for fuel, food, industrial and cleaning and cosmetic products, is causing rainforest to be replaced with palm plantations around the tropics, most of all in Indonesia.

 

But L'Oreal's move also applies to other commodities such as wood and wood fiber, and soybean oil.

 

Greenpeace expects other companies to follow with more ambitious timelines.

 

L'Oreal is joining Nestlé, Unilever and Ferrero, which have already committed to 'No Deforestation' policies. Other palm oil giants are starting to move too.

 

The world's largest palm oil trader in the world, Wilmar International, committed to a 'No Deforestation' policy late last year due to public pressure from NGOs and consumers.

 

According to L'Oreal's statement, its purchases of palm oil are already compliant with Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) standards.

 

Now it will move further to give preference to suppliers that respect additional standards that include the free and informed consent of indigenous peoples. Full compliance will be in place by 2020.