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Davines Group: Embracing Interdependence in Sustainable Practices

The company’s path to B Corp unveils sustainability lessons on stakeholder engagement, innovations, and insights for a sustainable tomorrow.

About Davines Group

 

The Davines Group, founded in Parma in 1983, specializes in professional cosmetic products under the brands Davines for haircare and [ comfort zone ] for skincare. Led by Chairman Davide Bollati and CEO Anthony Molet, the Group is headquartered in Parma at the Davines Group Village, alongside the Scientific Garden and EROC – European Regenerative Organic Center – a research center focusing on regenerative organic agriculture stemming from a partnership with the Rodale Institute. The Davines Group became a B Corp in 2016 and today has 8 subsidiaries, operates in 90 countries, and employs around 900 collaborators globally. Since 2019, both the Italian and US subsidiaries have been Benefit Corporations.

The B Corp Journey: a Pivotal Strategic and Organizational Shift

 

The Davines Group achieved B Corp certification first in 2016 to substantiate the passion for sustainability, which is in their DNA and has been with them for at least 18 years. The Group then obtained recertification in 2020 and November 2023. This certification validates their holistic sustainability approach, which is not composed of a few isolated projects but of many project areas, ideas, and commitments that synergistically take shape and strengthen the positive impact of the company. 

 

The B Corp certification instigated pivotal strategic and organizational shifts within the Davines Group. Firstly, the Group established the B Corp Strategic Committee, a managerial team commencing the assessment process in July 2015. The approach became more structured, featuring an action plan addressing gaps, from measurement to defining performance objectives and crafting policies. Furthermore, they decided to extend their commitment beyond certification, annually setting measurable improvement goals via B Lab’s B Impact Assessment (BIA) and conducting internal audits. 

 

By recognizing the importance of engaging the entire organization, the Group understood the necessity of motivating sustainability initiatives and having operational references. Since 2018, the Sustainable Development Activators group, comprising individuals from headquarters and branches, has encouraged teams to embrace sustainability, steering them toward progressively ambitious goals.

©Davines Group

©Davines Group

Driving Positive Impact across Environment, Community, and Governance

 

The B Corp Certification impact area of ‘Environment’ is where the Davines Group excels. Indeed, the Group has been recognized as ‘Best for the World – Environment’ from 2018 to 2022. In 2022, they achieved the goal of increasing the percentage of sales revenue of products covered by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis over the entire life cycle to 59.3%. For years, the analysis has been applied to all new products. The LCA methodology application on the packaging allows us to select the material with the lowest impact during the product development stage. Adhering to eco-design principles, the Group systematically reduces packaging materials, eliminates superfluous elements, and lightens pack weight without compromising functionality. 

 

Since 2021, they have measured and monitored 100% of its CO2 emissions and, in 2022, committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050 through its partnership with SBTi. 

Significant improvements have also been made in the ‘Community’ impact area, particularly in supply chain management, where suppliers’ social and environmental impact assessments are conducted using an internal sustainability questionnaire and platforms like B Lab’s B Impact Assessment and Ecovadis.

In the ‘Governance’ impact area, sustainability is a key variable in decision-making at all levels of the Davines Group, and all managers are committed to achieving sustainability-related goals. Ethics and transparency are core values for the company, as demonstrated by the public disclosure of financial contributions in the form of donations and of the regulating sponsorships, which must be in line with its code of ethics. 

 

In the ‘Workers’ impact area, considerable attention and importance are given to developing and improving the skills of the Group’s people, from training courses for employees in various areas (from sustainability to finance and individual development) to a welfare platform, Davines Care, offering benefits and services to all permanent employees (one year after they are hired and excluding executives) and their families. The company also offers its employees the opportunity to extend maternity and paternity leave and unlimited sick leave for serious illness, as well as transfer part of their vacation time to colleagues in case of family needs. The Group also pays special attention to both physical and mental health, having signed several agreements from psychological counseling to collaborations with outpatient clinics and gyms for yoga and meditation activities.

Davide Bollati

We are proud to have achieved the B Corp recertification for the second time and further improved our performance, particularly in the Environment and Community areas. This is a very important milestone that encourages us to continue along this path, knowing that this is a journey of continuous improvement that can only be achieved with the commitment of all stakeholders - from suppliers to customers, employees, salons, and beauty centers. We believe this is the only way to trigger chain reactions and ripple effects to establish a new economic model of regenerative, fair, and sustainable growth.

– Davide Bollati, Chairman at Davines Group

Environmental Stewardship in Action

 

Regarding environmental sustainability, it’s noteworthy that the Group has made considerable efforts to minimize the use of chemicals and substances known for their significant environmental impact. Steam has replaced the conventional chemical approach in the sanitization of production facilities. This transition demanded machinery adaptations, constituting an economic and organizational investment before full operationalization. 

The production machinery’s cooling system also stands out for avoiding open-cycle water usage. Through an advanced collection and expansion system, the water utilized for cooling is consistently recovered during each cycle, demonstrating a commitment to water conservation. 

 

For this recertification, a meticulous analysis, emphasized in the BIA, compared the packaging of Davines Group products with competitors. The survey disclosed that the ratio of package weight to content of the company products is approximately 70% lower than that of competitors, demonstrating that the material usage for Davines Group product packaging is substantially lower than comparable packaging in the industry. 

 

Furthermore, the Group excelled in the IBM of the Customer section by offering a variety of training activities for salons and beauty professionals. These activities aim to enhance their professional and personal skills, encompassing areas such as business management and implementing practical measures to minimize their business’s environmental impact, demonstrating an understanding and commitment to meeting their needs.

©Davines Group

Navigating Towards Net Zero: Davines Group’s Pioneering Initiatives

 

Emissions reduction is essential for achieving Net Zero, and the Davines Group formally signed its commitment to SBTi in May 2022. Currently, it’s formulating Net Zero reduction targets and developing a strategic long-term roadmap for their realization by 2050 at the latest. 

 

Another key initiative Davines Group focuses on is the European Regenerative Organic Center  (EROC) project, a collaboration with the Rodale Institute to safeguard and regenerate biodiversity. Through EROC, they aim to expand the production of raw materials and encourage collaboration with other sectors, facilitating similar sustainability initiatives. 

 

Additionally, the company plans to integrate agro-photovoltaic systems into the project, combining regenerative agriculture with renewable energy to enhance overall environmental impact. It combines the experimentation and research of organic active ingredients with the production of renewable electrical energy from photovoltaic panels. This involves elevated, adjustable solar panels, underneath which agricultural cultivation is allowed, optimizing soil efficiency and contributing to environmental sustainability. The aim is to generate 100% of the electricity required for the Davines Group Village on-site. 

 

Finally, water conservation is a pivotal focus in their sustainability strategy. The commitment extends to preserving and restoring water basins while reducing their water footprint across the entire value chain. Tangible goals will be established to achieve meaningful reductions in water consumption. 

Lessons Learned

 

#1: Declaration of Interdependence in the daily practices

 

Since the first certification in 2016, Davines Group has embraced the concept expressed in the  Interdependence Declaration, integrating it into their daily mission to advocate the belief in interdependence among all organizations for positive, sustainable and long-term change. The advocacy program, launched in 2016, has supported and influenced 19 suppliers (updated as of July 2023), 2 distributors, and 2 international salons to achieve B Corp Certification. In 2022, they initiated the first B Corp-exclusive tender, with plans for more in 2023. 

 

 

#2: Fostering employee and stakeholder engagement

 

In 2015, the Group formed what would later become the B Corp Strategic Committee, a  management team dedicated to defining actions and strategies to improve environmental and social impact. With measurable sustainability goals, we foster collaboration across the Davines Group Village, subsidiaries, and stakeholders. The company also created an in-house team of Sustainable Development Activators in all functions, responsible for motivating and stimulating each business department’s initiatives for sustainability.

 

 

#3: The power of collaboration in the B Corp community

 

Building robust connections in the B Corp movement profoundly influences our organizational choices. Actively collaborating with certified B Corps cultivates a shared space for insights and solutions, fostering a collective approach to global challenges. In relation to this, in 2020 we spearheaded the B Beauty Coalition, an alliance of B Corp belonging to beauty industry, created to improve environmental and social standards in the beauty industry.

 

Visit Davines Group’s B Corp public profile to learn more!

Resources

 

 

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