YSL Beauty Reaffirms Commitment To Ecosystem Restoration In The Ourika Valley In Honor Of World Environment Day

PARIS, June 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of World Environment Day (June 5, 2021), YSL Beauty is pleased to reaffirm a commitment to regenerative agriculture and ecosystem restoration in the Ourika Valley, home of its Ourika Community Gardens in Morocco. This effort is aligned with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration program, which is launching today and will run through 2030 - the timeline scientists have identified as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change. By joining the movement to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide, YSL Beauty aims to positively impact biodiversity and local communities by restoring degraded land and creating a virtuous circle of innovation, restoration and sustainable growth.

THE OURIKA COMMUNITY GARDENS: A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO RESTORING NATURE

Located in the Atlas Mountains region of Morocco, the Ourika Community Gardens is an oasis of sustainable beauty. Since the project's inception in 2013, this unique site has been devoted to growing cosmetic ingredients, reflecting an innovative approach to research with a space entirely dedicated to botanical science.

"The Ourika Community Gardens is an experimental project inspired by M. Yves Saint Laurent's passion for the Moroccan landscape. Following in his footsteps, these gardens offer an opportunity to observe, cultivate and, ultimately transform an ecosystem threatened by climate change into a flourishing environment," says Stephan Bezy, International General Manager, Yves Saint Laurent Beauty. "Today, in recognition of World Environment Day, we are renewing our commitment to sustainability with this innovative and socially responsible program connected to the UN."

The Ourika Community Gardens create sustainable changes by deploying programs with a positive impact on the community of local women who cultivate the garden, and on biodiversity by applying regenerative agriculture practices. Priority actions include:

• The recovery of abused ecosystems: since 2017, YSL beauty has restored 335 hectares in the Ourika Valley, an environment threatened by desertification.
• Working with communities: the Gardens bring together a cooperative of 32 local women in an unprecedented social program, which strives to promote the skills and ancestral craftsmanship of local communities while creating job opportunities.
• The preservation of native plant species: with more than 200 botanical species present.
• The promotion of botanical research and awareness: 12 plants sourced from the Gardens featured in YSL Beauty product campaigns.

JOINING THE #GENERATIONRESTORATION MOVEMENT: THE UN DECADE ON ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION

As we enter the next decade, the need for real and measurable environmental actions has never been greater. Since 1974, World Environment Day has been celebrated every year on June 5. This year, the theme of this landmark day is "ecosystem restoration"; i.e., preventing, halting and reversing environmental damage in every ecosystem, making the shift from exploiting nature to healing it. This World Environment Day will kick off the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global rallying cry to revive billions of hectares of land, from forests to farmlands, from mountain tops to the depths of the sea.

"We need to respect the environment by respecting its limits," says Caroline Nègre, YSL Beauty, Director of Scientific Communications. "The world's leading scientists have warned that we only have ten years left to reduce our use of resources in order to combat climate change. Alongside our own in-depth transformation process to reduce our impact on resources, it is essential and urgent that we start deploying solutions if we want to restore and regenerate our ecosystems," she adds.

At YSL Beauty, we have been taking action in regard to ecosystem restoration in the Ourika Valley since 2017 and we pledge to continue and intensify this program. Everybody on the planet can be a part of #GenerationRestoration and we are proud to align the work done at the Ourika Community Gardens with this UN mission. For YSL Beauty, World Environment Day offers inspiration for positive change and even more impetus to continue developing sustainable models and innovations that repair the environment and support our communities in building a greener future. 

A VIRTUOUS CIRCLE OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

Set in the heart of the Ourika Valley, the Ourika Community Gardens are a site for preservation and innovation, with the goal to further develop the virtuous cycle of this experimental and iconic space by encouraging and stimulating those who cultivate the earth so that they may reap all they have sown. The strength of these gardens lies in their ability to transform, dare, and cultivate change.

• As of 2020, more than 12 million of YSL Beauty's product units contained at least one ingredient from the Ourika Community Gardens.
• In 2022, 100% of the brand's renewable ingredients will be sustainably sourced.
• In 2025, 100% of the brand's new launches will include at least one ingredient from the Gardens.
• By 2025, the goal is to restore over 1,000 hectares of land in addition to the 335 hectares of existing restored ecosystems.

Moreover, although the brand had already organically grown its plants for several years, in 2020, it decided to go a step further by committing to an organic certification process.

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