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Avon Australia

OVERALL

Owned
BRA
Rating
Criticisms

Beauty products importer

Most of Avon's products sold in Australia are made in China.

Company Ownership

Avon Products Pty Ltd   AUS     website   email      
  Avon Products Inc   
   owns 100% of Avon Products Pty Ltd  
UK     website   email   facebook   twitter

Beauty products

The world's largest direct seller of cosmetics and beauty-related items. In 2016 Avon spun off its North American unit to create New Avon, which was bought by LG in 2019 and renamed The Avon Company is 2021. Natura & Co acquired the global Avon business in 2019.

      Natura & Co SA   
       owns 100% of Avon Products Inc  
BRA     website         

Personal care products

Cosmetics group comprising Natura Cosmetico, The Body Shop, Aesop and Avon. Natura acquired 65% of Aesop in 2013 and the remaining 35% in 2016. Bought The Body Shop from L'Oreal in 2017, and acquired Avon in 2019.

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
Avon Products Pty Ltd
No assessment data currently available for Avon Products Pty Ltd
Avon Products Inc
Environment Supply chain practices in China
This company received a score of 6.3/100 (retrieved 10-Oct-2020) in the Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI), a system for evaluating supply chain practices in China, particularly in regards to environmental management and water pollution. Scores are calculated using government compliance data, online monitoring data, and third-party environmental audits, as well as trends in the environmental performance of factories in the company's supply chains.
Source: IPE (2020)
Business Ethics 30.7% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017
This company received a score of 30.7/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
Source: Newsweek (2017)
Environment Palm oil sourcing
A 2022 BBC News, Mongabay and the Gecko Project released a joint investigation that looked into a scheme that was intended to help lift millions of Indonesians out of poverty and cut them in on the spoils of the global palm oil boom, but has instead been plagued by allegations of exploitation and illegality. They identified 13 companies, including this one, that have sourced palm oil from producers alleged to have withheld plasma (a portion of large-scale plantations to be shared with local communities), or the profits from plasma, from Indonesian communities over the past eight years. The losses suffered across Indonesia by communities owed plasma could stretch into the hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Protests by local tribes over plasma are violently suppressed by Indonesian authorities.
Source: Mongabay (2022)
Environment CDP Forests Score of D
In 2019, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts towards removing commodity-driven deforestation and forest degradation from its direct operations and supply chains. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Forests Score of D.
Source: CDP (2019)
Environment CDP Climate Change Score of D
In 2020, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of D.
Source: CDP (2020)
Animals Animal Testing
As of Dec 2019, this company appears on PETA's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, USA) 'Companies Working for Regulatory Change' list, that is, they conduct tests on animals only when required by law, are actively working for the replacement of animals with non-animal methods, and release to PETA all information about tests and what is done to avoid them.
Source: PETA (2022)
Business Ethics Foreign Corrupt Practices violations
This company has paid multiple fines for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). In 2014 Avon China paid US$135 million to the US Dept of Justice and the SEC in relation to a bribery scheme. In 2015 Avon Products paid US$62 million to settle claims that it falsely inflated stock prices by hiding FCPA violations. In 2016 the company paid US$6.25 million to settle a proposed class action when its employees accused it of mismanaging pension funds during a FCPA investigation.
Source: Top Class Actions (2017)
Environment Use of microplastics
This company uses plastic microbeads in some of its personal care products. These particles are not retained by wastewater treatment so end up in the ocean where they contribute to ocean plastic pollution, and are hazardous to sea life. While the effects of microplastics on human health are not completely understood, there are concerns about plastic additives, such as phthalates, which are known endocrine disruptors which are shown to have harmful effects on life.
Source: Beat the Microbead (2021)
Environment Microbeads scorecard
In 2016 Greenpeace East Asia ranked the world's 30 biggest personal care companies on their commitment to eliminating microbeads from their personal care products. The scorecard was based on four main criteria: commitment & transparency, definition, deadline and global application. This company ranked joint second. Microbeads are not retained by wastewater treatment and end up in the ocean where they are a threat to the marine environment.
Source: Greenpeace (2016)
Business Ethics Responsibility claims
This company has responsibility claims on its website in the areas of reducing environmental impact, operating responsibly, standing against animal testing, and supporting women.
Source: company website (2021)
Business Ethics GFTN participant
This company is a participant in WWF's Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN), which seeks to mainstream the principles of responsible forest management and sustainable trade throughout the global forest products industry, by providing technical assistance and fostering linkages between committed companies. Independent forest certification is a key tool in this process.
Source: WWF (2019)
Social Modern Slavery statement
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
Source: company website (2021)
Social Skin Deep hazard scores
Skin Deep is an online safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products and their potential hazards and health concerns, with over 75,000 products rated from 1 (low hazard) to 10 (high hazard).
Source: Environmental Working Group (2019)
Natura & Co SA
Business Ethics Certified B Corporation
Certified B Corporations use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. B Corps meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards; meet higher legal accountability standards; and build business constituency for good business.
Source: B Corporation (2021)
Business Ethics Global 100
The 2022 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list is based on a rigorous assessment of nearly 7,000 public companies with revenue over US$1 billion. All companies are scored on environmental, social, governance and economic metrics relative to their peers, with 50% of the weight assigned to Clean Revenue and Clean Investment. This company ranked #88 in the Global 100.
Source: Corporate Knights (2022)
Business Ethics 72/100 S&P Global ESG Score
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 72/100 in the Personal Products category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 21 Oct 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2022)
Environment 18% in Forest 500 Rankings
Forest 500 identifies the 350 companies and 150 financial institutions with the greatest exposure to tropical deforestation risk, and annually assesses them on the strength and implementation of their deforestation and human rights commitments. This company received a score of 18%.
Source: Forest 500 (2021)
Environment Climate action commitments
As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target; put a price on carbon; responsible corporate engagement in climate policy; report climate change information in mainstream reports as a fiduciary duty.
Source: We Mean Business (2021)
Business Ethics Plastics Commitment signatory
This company is a signatory to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, whose goal is to eliminate plastic pollution at its source.
Source: New Plastics Economy (2022)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Wholly-owned subsidiary

Contact Details

Address 120 Old Pittwater Rd, Brookvale, NSW, 2100, Australia
Phone 02 9936 7777
Website www.avon.com.au

Products / Brands

Avon Australia
Avon Cosmetics
Avon Skin Care


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