ShanghaiJune 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, the fourth Shanghai International Carbon Neutrality Technology, Products and Achievements Expo (hereinafter referred to as the Carbon Expo) was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. As the only beauty company to participate for four consecutive years, L’Oréal showcased its full value chain sustainable practices under the theme “Beauty that Moves Us, Actions for the Planet,” and simultaneously awarded six suppliers with the “Tomorrow’s Partner” award. Huaxi Bio and QiaXing Packaging were selected as representative core suppliers, demonstrating the tangible results of driving supply chain collaboration to reduce carbon emissions from different dimensions upstream and downstream of the industry chain.
Huaxi Bio: Prioritizing Green Electricity, Reducing Carbon at the Source for the Industry
As a long-time partner of L’Oréal in bioactive raw materials, Huaxi Bio’s green transformation path is clear and determined.
“L’Oréal’s vision and actions have inspired and guided our sustainability journey,” said a representative from Huaxi Bio. Driven by L’Oréal’s sustainability strategy, Huaxi Bio has set a clear 2030 target: reduce operational boundary carbon emissions (Scope 1 & 2) by 50% compared to the 2023 baseline. The confidence behind this goal comes from solid actions—its hyaluronic acid production base now uses 100% green electricity, and the carbon footprint of its core products has been reduced by approximately 20% compared to 2022. Thanks to its performance in climate transparency and action, Huaxi Bio achieved a CDP A rating.
For Huaxi Bio, carbon reduction is not a cost item but part of product competitiveness. Providing L’Oréal with scientific and sustainable bioactive raw materials means laying the foundation for the low-carbon attributes of beauty products from the very source. Meanwhile, L’Oréal’s continuously improving sustainable procurement standards are pushing Huaxi Bio to constantly optimize its energy structure and carbon management capabilities.
QiaXing Packaging: Revitalizing Without New Machines, A Low-Carbon Turnaround in an Old Workshop
QiaXing Packaging, which has partnered with L’Oréal for over two decades, has taken a more “down-to-earth” transformation path.
The injection molding workshop at QiaXing’s Kunshan factory houses over 500 machines, most of which are more than a decade old. Facing its own SBTi-verified 2030 emission reduction target, the team encountered a practical dilemma: replacing all machines with new ones would cost tens of millions of yuan and potentially halt production lines for months. Confronted with this difficult situation, the QiaXing team decided against simple replacement and instead opted for a systematic upgrade of the old equipment.
Starting with a pilot on one machine, they measured, retrofitted, and re-measured, adjusting materials, components, and operating parameters, and validating all common product materials. The energy-saving effect exceeded expectations, while quality remained stable. Subsequently, the retrofit expanded from a single machine to the entire workshop: air compressors were switched to on-demand supply, air conditioning to zonal control, and cooling towers were optimized from open to closed-loop systems, complemented by energy monitoring for continuous tracking of operational status.
Ultimately, the Kunshan factory achieved annual electricity savings of approximately 10.4 GWh, reducing CO2 emissions by about 5,900 tons, with a payback period of less than two years. More importantly, this “old equipment revitalization” plan is being replicated and promoted at QiaXing’s factories in Mexico and Portugal, and is driving upstream suppliers to save energy and reduce consumption as well.
“The biggest challenge wasn’t technology, but the transformation of management methods,” the QiaXing team admitted. Previously focused on quality, delivery, and cost, they now need to integrate carbon data, energy efficiency, and environmental performance into daily decision-making. L’Oréal’s role has been that of a “direction setter, standard promoter, and long-term co-creation partner.”
L’Oréal’s Role: More Than Just Requirements, It’s About Empowerment
At the Carbon Expo site, Lan Zhenzhen, President of Public Affairs for L’Oréal North Asia and China, vividly explained the company’s approach with the “Three Actions Principle”: “Practicing sustainability is like sticking to a fitness routine. It’s not only about making sustainability fun and sparking ‘heartfelt action,’ but also about collaborating with more partners in the ecosystem for win-win outcomes, creating ‘joint action.’ Furthermore, it requires continuous innovation across every link of the value chain to drive ‘full-chain action.'” For Huaxi Bio and QiaXing, this green path is exactly that: from green electricity at the source to energy conservation in workshops, from single-point breakthroughs to systemic upgrades—every step is challenging, but every step counts.
Huaxi Bio reduces the carbon footprint of raw materials at the source; QiaXing achieves maximum energy savings with minimal cost through retrofitting old equipment. The paths differ, but the underlying logic is the same: L’Oréal’s sustainability standards provide suppliers with a clear direction; in turn, the suppliers’ own capacity building ultimately feeds back into the green competitiveness of the entire industry chain.
From raw materials to packaging, from factories to the global stage, these “Tomorrow’s Partners” are proving through action that green transformation is never a zero-sum game, but a long-distance race of co-creation and win-win outcomes.