Estée Lauder Companies is a New York-based multinational cosmetics and skincare manufacturer founded in 1946.
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Estée Lauder has locked in strong operational emissions reductions (37.6% since 2018) and renewable energy, but Scope 3 emissions—95% of its footprint—rose 10% absolute while targets remain intensity-based. A 2026 PFAS fine in Canada, child labour allegations in jasmine supply chains, and reliance on offsets over real reduction undermine credibility.
The Estée Lauder Companies scores 42/100 (Below expectations) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Fees pay for the review, never the result. Last verified May 2026.
That places The Estée Lauder Companies joint 317th of 847 companies scored, and joint 13th of 45 in FMCG / Consumer Goods.
Where The Estée Lauder Companies sits among fmcg / consumer goods peers.
Among the 45 major fmcg / consumer goods brands we've scored, The Estée Lauder Companies is tied =13th of 45, with 3 others.
Its three lowest-scoring questions, and what the evidence didn't show.
However, total GHG across all scopes rose 10% from 2018 baseline as of FY2023.
January 2026: ELC fined CAD$750,000 by Ontario court for PFAS violations in eyeliner (forever chemicals), pleaded guilty, added to Canada's Environmental Offenders Registry.
ELC maintains formal No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation policy and achieved 97% RSPO-certified sustainable palm in FY2025.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Evidence that isn't public can count through an evidence review.
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Get in touch →Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Energy Source (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Controversies & Red Flags (4/10, 4/10).
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above The Estée Lauder Companies.
Imperial Brands discloses substantial carbon reductions in operations (72% S1+S2) and has SBTi-validated net-zero targets, but structural harms persist: tobacco farming drives deforestation and water contamination, 4.5 trillion cigarette butts remain unaddressed, and the company actively lobbies against tobacco regulation while greenwashing via ESG awards.
See the breakdown →Who Gives A Crap has built genuine credibility through B Corp certification, FSC Chain-of-Custody accreditation, and zero-virgin-pulp sourcing.
See the breakdown →Natracare reports its first comprehensive carbon footprint (2,664 tCO2e, 99% Scope 3) but the Scope 3 calculation is internally inconsistent, missing end-of-life and downstream transport.
See the breakdown →The formula and all 17 sources.
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale17 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
11 of 17 sources are independent of the company.
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
Estée Lauder Companies is a New York-based multinational cosmetics and skincare manufacturer founded in 1946. Operating brands including MAC, Clinique, and La Mer across 150+ countries, it generated $17.7B revenue in FY2022. A major player in premium beauty, the company faces sector-wide pressures on packaging waste and supply chain transparency.
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