Environmental Sustainability
At P&G, environmental sustainability is embedded in how we do business. We have a responsibility to make the world better. P&G is committed to positively impacting our homes, our communities, and our planet — especially in the areas of Climate, Forestry, Water and Packaging. We are focused on developing innovations and products that deliver irresistible superiority in a sustainable way. We continue to reduce our footprint and strive for more circular approaches in our supply chain. We’re building partnerships with external organizations to combat some of the most challenging and complex issues we face today. And our employees are committed to ensure that sustainability is built in — not bolted on — to their everyday work. To learn more about what we are doing in the areas of climate, water, forestry and packaging, click here.
Climate
Climate
NET ZERO AMBITION BY 2040
In September 2021, P&G set a new ambition to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its operations and supply chain, from raw material to retailer. P&G also shared a Climate Transition Action Plan which outlines a comprehensive approach to accelerating climate action and the key challenges ahead. In addition to the details of P&G’s net zero ambition to 2040, the Climate Transition Action Plan covers the entire lifecycle emissions of our products and packaging, across supply chain, operations, consumer use of our products, and product end of life.
To learn more about the progress we are making against our climate goals, click here.
Water
Water
We are doing our part to conserve and restore water for people and nature. In 2020, we kicked off a partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) Business for Water Stewardship (BWS) program through which we are funding six projects in California’s Sacramento River and American River basins that aim to have a longterm positive impact on freshwater ecosystems and water supply for communities and businesses. These projects, combined, expect to restore more than three billion liters of water to people and nature. We have also increased water efficiency in our operations by 25%1 per unit of production and sourced 3.1 billion liters of water from circular sources.
To learn more about the progress we are making against our water goals, click here.
1 Efficiency progress compared to FY09/10, which is our Corporate baseline.
Forestry
Forestry
We use 100% certified pulp in Family Care and will achieve 75% FSC certification, our preferred certification, by 2022 with an ambition to reach 100% FSC by 2030. We are committed to the responsible sourcing of palm oils. We are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and are committed to RSPO’s 2018 Principles and Criteria (P&Cs). As of 2021, all P&G consumer brands use 100% RSPO certified palm oils.
To learn more about the progress we are making against our forestry goals, click here.
Packaging
Packaging
In 2021, 73% of our consumer packaging is recyclable or reusable, and we continue to work towards 100% recyclable or reusable consumer packaging.
To learn more about the progress we are making against our packaging goals, click here.
Ambition 2030
Reducing our carbon emissions, prioritizing water conservation and shifting to renewable electricity are just the beginning. In 2018, we took a hard look and refocused our energy toward 2030, with a new set of goals and an embrace of new practices intended not just to reduce our footprint and conserve precious resources, but to help restore the world, ultimately leaving it better than we found it.
For progress on Ambition 2030, click here.
Saving Energy at Home
Since 2015, P&G brands Tide and Ariel have helped consumers increase their use of low-energy laundry cycles to avoid roughly 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. We have leveraged innovation and sustained consumer education to help reduce the largest portion of our carbon footprint — the energy needed to heat water during product use.
Our work doesn't stop here
For more information, visit our ESG Investor Portal where you can find out more about P&G goals, efforts and progress on water, waste, climate, forestry, equality and inclusion and governance, among others. For specific information about our different programs and activities on how we are helping make our home better across forestry, plastic packaging, water and climate, visit Mapping Our Impact section on our public website.
History of P&G sustainability
To see the full history of our environmental sustainability efforts, have a look at our timeline.