Nature Positive: Role of the Household and Personal Care Products Sector

The household and personal care products sector, generating approximately $700 billion in annual revenues, significantly impacts nature through land conversion, water extraction, and plastic pollution. The report identifies a critical dependency on freshwater and raw materials like palm oil, noting that palm oil accounted for 7% of global deforestation from 2000 to 2018. To mitigate these risks and align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the report recommends five priority actions: improving water stewardship, responsible sourcing, influencing customer behavior, supporting nature conservation, and expanding circularity. Implementing these actions could unlock $62 billion in annual business opportunities by 2030. The document also provides a framework for companies to align their nature strategies with their organizational maturity and integrate them into existing net-zero transition plans.

• The household and personal care products sector generates approximately $700 billion in annual revenues but contributes to nature loss through land conversion, water extraction, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution.
• The sector is highly dependent on nature, particularly freshwater and specific raw materials; for instance, palm oil, a common ingredient, was responsible for 7% of all global deforestation between 2000 and 2018.
• Water risks pose a significant financial threat to the consumer staples sector, with potential financial impacts estimated at $196 billion in 2020, while the cost to address these risks was estimated at $11 billion.
• Plastic pollution is a major sector impact, with the consumer goods sector contributing 12% of all plastic waste; globally, 22% of plastic evades waste management and enters uncontrolled environments.
• Implementing five priority actions—improving water stewardship, responsible sourcing, influencing customer behavior, supporting conservation, and expanding circularity—could unlock $62 billion in annual cost savings and revenue upside by 2030.
• Circular economy solutions, specifically reuse and recycling, are identified as the most impactful option for reducing plastic pollution, with the potential to reduce it by 50% by 2040.
• There is a significant gap in corporate biodiversity targets compared to climate targets; while 83% of Fortune Global 500 companies have climate targets, only 5% have targets for biodiversity loss.

APA

World Economic Forum (2023). Nature Positive: Role of the Household and Personal Care Products Sector. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Nature_Positive_Role_of_the_Household_and_Personal_Care_Sector_2023.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Nature Positive: Role of the Household and Personal Care Products Sector. 2023. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Nature_Positive_Role_of_the_Household_and_Personal_Care_Sector_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Nature Positive: Role of the Household and Personal Care Products Sector |date=September 2023 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Nature_Positive_Role_of_the_Household_and_Personal_Care_Sector_2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2023nature, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Nature Positive: Role of the Household and Personal Care Products Sector}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Nature_Positive_Role_of_the_Household_and_Personal_Care_Sector_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }