The third edition of the L’Oréal For the Future Summit in Dubai brought together government representatives, sustainability experts, retail partners and industry leaders to mark a decisive step in L’Oréal’s journey from ambition to accountability in the fight against climate change.
As home to the regional headquarters and a market at the forefront of the Gulf’s green transformation, the UAE is where L’Oréal is piloting and scaling its key environmental initiatives – proving that sustainable beauty can be accessible, impactful and commercially viable.
"Our mission is to create the beauty that moves the world. This means providing our consumers with the best products and experiences, while doing so responsibly, protecting our planet and supporting the communities around us," said Laurent Duffier, Managing Director, L’Oréal Middle East.
At the Summit, the company announced the signing of the UAE Climate-Responsible Companies Pledge with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, in the presence of Eng. Aisha Mohamed Al Abdooli, Director of Green Development & Environmental Affairs Department at the Ministry.
"Sustainability here is not a trend. It is a living urgency. Which is why we have formalised our commitment by signing the UAE Climate-Responsible Companies Pledge with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment," he added.
Putting the pledge into action, L’Oréal Middle East has expanded the availability of refill stations through strategic retail partnerships to reduce plastic waste and bring sustainable beauty to more consumers across the UAE.
These partnerships extend L’Oréal refillable solutions to select pharmacies in the UAE, highlighting the group’s ongoing efforts to embed circularity into the everyday routines of UAE consumers.
"Pharmacies are places that consumers already visit and trust for expert advice. By placing our refill stations and products in pharmacies, we are making sustainable choices part of the consumers’ everyday routine," said Duffier.
"This isn’t a new mindset for us; we have been on this journey since 1979. As L’Oréal, the world’s largest beauty company, we know we have both a responsibility and an opportunity to help drive real, positive change," he added.
Through these efforts, refillable beauty is now highly visible and accessible across all of L’Oréal’s categories – makeup, skincare, haircare, and fragrance.
The offering spans luxury brands such as Kiehl’s, Prada, and YSL Beauty; dermatological brands including La Roche-Posay and CeraVe; and professional ranges like Kérastase and L’Oréal Professionnel.
The environmental impact is measurable: the Prada Paradoxe refillable, for example, reduces material use by 44 percent glass, 67 percent plastic, 100 percent metals, and 61 percent cardboard compared to standard formats.
The inclusion of pharmacies as a sustainable retail touchpoint aims to integrate convenient and affordable solutions in places people trust the most.
"In the Middle East, pharmacies serve as genuine community hubs. This trusted channel allows us to make sustainable beauty accessible to a far wider audience than a flagship boutique ever could," said Duffier, explaining that over time, this presence allows sustainable choices to "stop being the alternative," and instead, "the default.".
To further reduce its footprint at the point of sale, the group…