Interview Series: Al Ianuzzi

Today’s newsletter is brought to you by

This week’s read time: 4 minutes

Welcome to the Green Digest Interview Series, our bi-weekly feature showcasing conversations with the industry’s leading voices - CSOs, sustainability directors, and other senior professionals shaping the sustainability landscape. Each edition dives into their professional journeys, hands-on insights, and outlook on the challenges and opportunities defining corporate sustainability.

These interviews are designed to be quick, insightful reads, offering you actionable takeaways and a personal glimpse into the people leading the way. Stay tuned for stories, strategies, and lessons that matter to you.

PRESENTED BY REUTERS EVENTS

Reuters Events: Sustainability Reporting USA 2025 (October 9–10, Boston)

Now a cornerstone in the ESG calendar, Reuters Events: Sustainability Reporting USA 2025 (October 9–10, Boston) convenes 300+ senior ESG, finance, and legal leaders to shape the next chapter of sustainability disclosure. With a legacy of delivering practical, actionable content, the event equips professionals to navigate regulatory change, from SEC climate rulings to CSRD alignment. Learn how AI and data governance can elevate your ESG strategy, and how to communicate transparently with investors and stakeholders. With 50+ executive speakers and 65% senior attendance, this is your opportunity to build on trusted foundations and lead the future of sustainable reporting.

Find out more by visiting the event website here

PROFILE

This week’s guest:

Al Ianuzzi

Vice President, Sustainability, The Estée Lauder Companies

Al Iannuzzi is Vice President, Sustainability, at The Estée Lauder Companies, where he directs enterprise-wide sustainability strategy, goals, and objectives. He oversees climate and energy, building operations, and product sustainability programs and supports brands with their sustainability initiatives. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University, Purdue University, and regularly lectures at prominent universities, teaching sustainability and product stewardship.

Al has more than 35 years’ experience in the Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability field. Prior to working at The Estée Lauder Companies, he worked for Johnson & Johnson, where he led Design for the Environment and Green Marketing programs and developed sustainability strategies for Consumer Product, Medical Device and Pharmaceutical sectors. He served as the chief architect of the Earthwards® greener product development program. He has also worked as an environmental consultant and as a regulator for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Al has authored four books, including his latest, the third edition of Greener Products: The Making & Marketing of Sustainable Brands (2024).   

Sustainability professionals have been navigating a wave of uncertainty lately – from shifting political agendas to budget pressures and regulatory changes. From your perspective, where does the landscape stand today? What’s moving in the right direction, and what’s not?

There’s no doubt the landscape is complex. But at Estée Lauder Companies, we’ve found that staying the course on our goals—especially around transparency—has helped us navigate the noise. Our stakeholders, particularly investors, continue to show interest in our sustainability performance and expect transparency in our disclosures. We meet with them regularly, and they’re asking detailed questions about climate, human capital, and our SI&S goals. That tells me sustainability is still very much on the agenda. What’s challenging is the growing perception that it’s less important. We see the opposite—especially in markets like the UK and Europe, where sustainability attributes are table stakes.

Can you give us a glimpse into a typical week in your role as Vice President of Sustainability at The Estée Lauder Companies? What parts of the role require the most focus and attention?

No two weeks are the same, but a big part of my role is cross-functional collaboration. I spend time with teams across supply chain, packaging, R&D, and our brands to help embed sustainability into decision-making. Like most companies with complex supply chains, we’ve been focused on Scope 3 emissions—working with suppliers, improving data quality, and aligning on shared goals. It’s complex, but it’s where we can drive real impact. I also spend time with our regional teams to make sure we’re meeting local expectations and staying ahead of the evolving regulatory landscape.

As one of the architects behind the company’s sustainability strategy, what’s been the most complex part of aligning sustainability across such a large and diverse portfolio of prestige beauty brands?

The diversity of our brands is a strength—but it also means there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Each brand has its own identity, consumer base, and product needs. The challenge is creating a framework that’s flexible enough to support that individuality while still driving toward our corporate goals. There are always competing priorities, and juggling these includes finding solutions together. We’ve made progress by empowering brands with tools like our Green Score program, internal Packaging Sustainability Guidelines, and by fostering close partnerships between our sustainability, R&D, and regional teams.

How do you connect sustainability performance to business value inside a creative, brand-driven company like The Estée Lauder Companies?

We look at sustainability as a driver of innovation, efficiency, and consumer trust. Take our early investment in a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement in Oklahoma—it enabled green energy to enter the grid and helped strengthen our energy security. Or our packaging redesigns, which have reduced emissions and improved recyclability while maintaining luxury aesthetics. These are good for the planet and good for business.

Green product marketing is an area you’ve written about extensively. With rising consumer skepticism, how do you ensure that sustainability claims are both credible and engaging across different brands?

One of our key focus areas is avoiding any hint of greenwashing—and the way we do that is by making sure every claim is backed by science and data. We work closely with our brands to ensure claims are substantiated and aligned with evolving standards. Transparency is key—whether it’s through ingredient glossaries, third-party certifications, or lifecycle assessments. This transparency builds trust and ensures that our efforts are aligned with consumer demands. We also tailor messaging to reflect regional expectations. What resonates in the UK might not land the same way in Asia. That’s where our consumer insights work really helps.

Finally, we ask all our guests this: Leading sustainability at a global company comes with a lot of pressure and complexity. What personal practices, routines, or philosophies help you stay resilient and focused?

I try to stay grounded in the “why.” Sustainability can feel overwhelming, but when I see the passion of our teams—whether it’s a packaging engineer finding a new material or a brand team launching innovative solutions, like recyclable sample sachet packages incorporating FSC certified paper—it reminds me that progress is possible. I also believe in pragmatism. We’re not going to solve everything overnight, but if we keep moving forward, stay transparent, and work together, we can make a real difference.

A big part of our mindset is staying responsive to what consumers care about. That means being open about both our progress and our challenges, and being agile enough to evolve as expectations shift.

And on a personal level, when things get tough, I remind myself: I get to do this, I don’t have to do this. What makes it even more rewarding is the people here at ELC. Despite being a young department of just eight years, we've done incredible work because of our dedicated team and the passion of our organization.

Al has shown us how he blends pragmatism with purpose — a reminder that sustainability can be both strategic and inspiring. We hope you enjoyed the interview, and we’ll be back in two weeks with more hands-on insights from sustainability leaders. 🟢

PARTNER WITH US

Increase your brand awareness and visibility by reaching the right audience and target market. Showcase your company, solutions, services, products, reports, surveys, events, or other content in front of our highly targeted audience of +4,300 Sustainability & ESG professionals. Contact us at [email protected] if you think we can partner in some way.