Smart science to improve lives™
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Net Zero

Zero is the new beautiful™
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Reducing emissions. Powering better beauty.

Reaching net zero requires action across the entire beauty value chain—from ingredient sourcing and manufacturing to product use and end-of-life.

At Croda Beauty, we're helping make lower-carbon beauty a reality through product-level transparency, science-based targets and ingredient innovation. We work closely with partners upstream and downstream to understand and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at every stage of the product lifecycle.

Our Net Zero 2050 target is verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and supported by robust decarbonisation roadmaps across our operations and product portfolio. We provide Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) data, including biogenic carbon content, across most of our portfolio, helping brands make more informed formulation decisions and identify opportunities to reduce emissions.

Together, we're helping build a more climate-conscious future for beauty.
 

We are making progress

While every stage matters, most emissions will usually be found beyond a company's direct operations. According to the Carbon Trust, 30–50% of beauty product emissions can come from raw material sourcing, while up to 80% may occur during consumer use, depending on the product category.

That's why progress depends on better data, lower-emission ingredient innovation and formulation approaches that can reduce emissions across the product lifecycle.  We provide product-level emissions data to help brands understand the impact of our ingredients.

Watch our video, People Behind the Progress: Net Zero, to hear how Croda Beauty's product carbon footprint analysis is helping brands make more informed sustainability decisions.
 
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Powering beauty brands

We combine carbon emissions data, ingredient innovation and value-chain collaboration to help brands accelerate progress towards their climate goals.

Design for lower carbon

Access detailed product carbon footprint data early in the formulation process to support more informed ingredient selection and lower-carbon product design.

Create products with reduced lifecycle emissions

Innovative ingredients and technologies can help reduce emissions during manufacturing, product use and end-of-life, without compromising performance.

Accelerate climate action

Leverage our SBTi-verified targets, decarbonisation roadmaps and supplier engagement activities to help address Scope 3 emissions and support your own net zero ambitions.

Build more credible sustainability claims

Support carbon-related communications with robust product-level data and greater transparency.

 

CRODA BEAUTY'S AREAS OF FOCUS

 
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Decarbonisation targets and roadmaps

Reducing emissions starts with clear targets and measurable action.

Our net zero ambition is supported by SBTi-verified targets and site-specific decarbonisation roadmaps across our manufacturing, research and commercial operations. From renewable energy adoption to operational efficiency improvements, we're taking practical steps to reduce emissions across our business.

 
Find out more
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Product-level insights

Carbon emissions transparency is critical to informed decision-making.

Today, we provide Product Carbon Footprint data across our portfolio, helping brands understand the emissions associated with ingredient choices and identify opportunities to reduce carbon impacts.

Alongside carbon data, technologies such as Eco-Sound™ Extraction and formulation innovations help reduce emissions associated with manufacturing and product use.

 
Read the blog
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The science behind net zero

Achieving net zero in the beauty industry (estimated to account for 0.5–1.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions) requires more than ambition. It requires science, transparency and action across the value chain.

Global frameworks including the Paris Agreement, IPCC climate assessments and the Glasgow Climate Pact have established a clear direction: rapid emissions reduction and long-term decarbonisation. For businesses, translating this ambition into measurable progress depends on robust methodologies and shared standards. Frameworks such as the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), Together for Sustainability (TfS) and PACT help organisations measure, report and reduce emissions in a consistent and credible way.

Croda signed the Business Ambition for 1.5°C commitment in 2019 and, in 2021, became one of the first three major chemical suppliers to establish science-based targets covering Scope 1, Scope 2 and upstream Scope 3 emissions. These targets were revalidated in 2025, alongside verification of our net zero 2050 ambition, with delivery supported by decarbonisation roadmaps across our sites and technology platforms.

To help brands make more informed decisions, Croda Beauty launched Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) data in 2022 for more than 1,200 SKUs, now expanded to approximately 1,550 products. Aligned with the TfS framework, and with full methodology validation planned for 2026, this provides consistent product-level emissions data to support credible carbon reduction strategies and sustainability claims.

Because progress towards net zero starts with understanding where emissions occur—and having the data needed to reduce them.
 

READY TO REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF YOUR NEXT BEAUTY INNOVATION?

Discover how Product Carbon Footprint data, lower-carbon ingredient technologies and science-based collaboration can help your brand make more informed formulation decisions and support progress towards net zero.

Talk to our experts about building lower-carbon beauty products.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

By 2030, we will reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 42% and absolute Scope 3 Energy & Industry (E&I) GHG emissions by 25% (from 2022 baseline). We will also reduce our absolute Scope 3 Forest Land and Agriculture (FLAG) GHG by 30.3% across the same period. These targets were verified by Science-Based Targets initiative in 2025, including our net-zero science-based target by 2050. 

More information and details on our targets can be found on our corporate website.

We support lower‑carbon beauty formulations through science‑based decarbonisation targets within our operations and supply chains, which support customers in reducing their upstream Scope 3 emissions. We have near term validated science‑based targets (Science Based Targets initiative) covering Scope 1, 2 and Scope 3 emissions, alongside a verified net-zero target for 2050. 

For customers, we have translated this into practical tools and product-level carbon transparency, including over 1,550 product carbon footprints (PCFs) statements (2024), predictive carbon data for new launches, and ability to generate glidepath data showing expected carbon reductions through to 2030. This enables informed ingredient selection that aligns climate ambition with formulation performance.

Our product carbon footprints (PCFs) require two types of data: activity data and emissions data. We use 100% primary data for activity data and a hybrid of data for the emissions data.

Our hybrid data collection uses a combination of supplier-provided data (where available), LCA data, and secondary data to fill any gaps. In some unique cases we have had to use some average data and a very limited amount of spend based data.

We are, however, moving towards supplier specific data to further improve quality. This involves collecting product-level cradle to-gate GHG inventory data from suppliers. As we progress and increase our levels of accuracy, the level of complexity also grows.

Due to these ongoing improvements to data quality, but also as we implement positive carbon reduction changes at site and in the composition of our products, it should be noted that our PCF figures are not stagnant and fixed; instead, they are dynamic and may change.

We are continually reviewing and improving our manufacturing processes, such as process improvements for our acid chloride derivatives at Rawcliffe Bridge (UK) or through bio-ethoxylation at Atlas Point (USA). Our sites utilise renewable electricity where possible and have been forming smart partnerships with local businesses to generate power in a sustainable manner. For example, our site in Chocques (France) works with a local company that incinerates waste to generate steam, in return for demineralised water. Another example is our site in Mevisa (Spain), which utilises a Flu-Ace unit to recover waste heat from industrial processes, repurposing it to reduce energy demand. By capturing and reusing heat, Flu-Ace boosts operational efficiency and produces hot water for the entire site. These examples demonstrate the innovative thinking at sites to decarbonise our operations, improving efficiencies and maintaining quality and safe working conditions. 

Croda calculates product carbon footprints (PCFs) by evaluating the Scope 1, 2 and 3 upstream greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production of 1 kilogram of product. The PCF is the sum of all of these GHG emissions, expressed as CO2 equivalents related to a product, from the extraction of the raw materials to the gate of the reporting company including transportation (Cradle-to-Gate). 

Croda’s calculation methods are aligning with the guidelines produced by the TFS initiative and was critically evaluated by third-party consultant, Ricardo, prior to our methodological updates to comply with the guideline v3.0. Independent validation of our methodological alignment with the most recent version of the guidelines is planned for 2026.

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