39 Sustainable Fragrances
benzene in an indoor environment [27] and the standard EN 16739:2015 sets out relevant
testing methodology. Candle type and fragrance composition can influence benzene
emissions, and both can be modified to reduce emissions. Concerning particulate matter
fragrance is indirectly concerned as devices such as aerosols, sprays and electric diffusers
initially emit particles (droplets) that subsequently evaporate.
DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY
These topics are often linked as deforestation leads to a loss of biodiversity, and it is sometimes
taken as a proxy for biodiversity. Concerning deforestation, the EUDR and CDP Forest
focus on the same seven commodities considered to be the most significant contributors
to deforestation [28]. Concerning the fragrance industry the most critical commodities are
palm and timber, with a more limited exposure to soy, coffee, and cocoa. For palm, the clear
standard for reducing deforestation risk is to use RSPO-MB (Roundtable on Sustainable
Palm Oil -Mass Balance), RSPO-SG (Segregated) or RSPO-IP (Identity Preserved) certified
qualities of ingredients. To certify a fragrance oil containing palm derivatives to a customer,
the fragrance manufacturing site must be certified RSPO-SCC (Supply Chain Certified) to
ensure volume traceability to MP, SG or IP standard. A growing number of palm derived
fragrance ingredients are available as RSPO-MB certified. At this moment, the RSPO
standards do not match the EUDR requirements, where no deforestation before 2020 must
be documented based on geo-localisation of the area of cultivation via a DDS (Due Diligence
Statement). It can be expected that RSPO will adapt to provide options meeting the EUDR
requirements to obtain a reference number and security token confirming successful
completion of the DDS, permitting import into the EU. Given the significant number of
palm derivates used by the fragrance industry and within the scope of EUDR (Annex 1)
it would have been challenging to be fully compliant by 30th December 2024 when the
Regulation was due to be applied, and in the face of intense lobbying the Commission
proposed a 12 month delay, which has been confirmed by the EU Council and Parliament.
For sustainable forestry, there are several well-known certifying bodies such as Forest
Stewardship Council and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification.
Nevertheless, there are many countries where certification remains sparce. For sustainable
soy from Latin America, the Round Table on Responsible Soy is the best-known certifying
organisation.
An open source that provides information on the risk of deforestation by country for
four commodities including timber, palm, and soy is the non-profit Preferred by Nature
platform [29].
Biodiversity is a broad and evolving topic. Certain aspects like the trade and use of
essential oils from endangered species have been managed through the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) certification
for many years. For the fragrance industry, the most emblematic concerned ingredients are
guaiac wood oil (Guaiacum officinale (Plante)) and agarwood oil (Aquilaria malaccensis
(Plante)). Another source of information concerning endangered species is the International
Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species where Endangered and
Critically Endangered categories are most relevant. There is overlap with CITES (Guaiac
wood is Endangered and Agarwood is Critically Endangered) but it is broader in scope and
not designed for trade.

40 JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE
The link between deforestation and biodiversity has been mentioned above and a particular
concern is the association with large areas of monoculture farming.
Systematically assessing biodiversity risk in the fragrance industry is still in its infancy, and
criteria that have been considered include:
– Monoculture vs mixed farming.
– Agricultural practices: Irrigation, Tilling, pesticide use, Understory quality.
– Land use intensity, related to degree of biodiversity loss.
At this stage, SBTi Nature does not foresee specific biodiversity targets, and considers
that other developing SBTi targets already, at least in part, include aspects of biodiversity
impact, such as water pollution, land targets (including LUC and soil pollution) and
forthcoming ocean targets.
It is important to reference two legal frameworks linked to biodiversity that are under
discussion and continue to evolve: Access and Benefits Sharing (ABS) and CSDDD.
The ABS regulations developed at the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) and
subsequently by the Nagoya Protocol (2010) are concerned with genetic resources in the
form of physical material. The Nagoya Protocol sets out obligations for its contracting
parties to take measures in relation to access to genetic resources, benefit-sharing and
compliance. Whilst many parties have ratified the Protocol, the most concrete impact for
the fragrance industry to date has concerned certain natural products from Brazil (e.g.
Copaiba) and South Africa with an evolving situation for India. Further details can be
found on the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) website [30].
With the increasing ease of gene sequencing, both in terms of cost and speed, and the
widespread availability of sequences from open-access databanks, the notion of genetic
resources has evolved. At the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) on Biodiversity (2022),
there was a call for the sharing of benefits for the use of genetic resources as well as digital
sequence information and traditional knowledge related to genetic resources with the aim for
a significant increase in benefit-sharing by 2030. There is a current debate on how to deal with
digital sequence information (DSI), data derived from dematerialized genetic resources, in the
context of conservation, sustainable use and ABS [31]. At the 16th COP on Biodiversity (2024)
agreement was reached that large companies and other major entities that benefit commercially
from DSI should pay into what is now called the “Cali Fund”. To be operated by the UN, it
will channel money toward conserving and sustainably using biodiversity. Countries will need
to put in place national measures to incentivise payments from large companies.
The CSDDD or CS3D, (EU) 2024/1760, as mentioned above, will be discussed in
Human Ethical considerations. It prohibits the causing of any measurable environmental
degradation, such as harmful soil change, water or air pollution, harmful emissions,
excessive water consumption, degradation of land, or other impact on natural resources,
such as deforestation in the context of human rights (ability to grow food, safe and clean
water, harm to health, adversely affecting ecosystem services through which an ecosystem
contributes directly or indirectly to human well-being).
It includes the prohibition to unlawfully evict or take land, forests, and waters when
acquiring, developing or otherwise using land, forests and waters, including by deforestation.
There is also an obligation to avoid or minimise adverse impacts on biological diversity,
including the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable
Sharing of Benefits Arising from their utilisation.