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Dutjahn keeps sustainable sandalwood trees for oil creation.

Every day at The Estée Lauder Companies, we make choices that we know will have impact far beyond our business, and that’s a responsibility we take very seriously. As the industry leader with a heritage of giving, we think deeply about how we can contribute to protecting our planet and its stewards, and we believe long-term partnerships and meaningful dialogue are key in achieving a better and more beautiful future for everyone.

Our company’s founding values inspire our commitment to operate responsibly and we strive to source our ingredients responsibly and sustainably with respect for local communities and the environment. That’s why over 15 years ago we developed a strategic relationship with the Kutkabubba Aboriginal Community to ensure the sustainable and equitable wild harvest of Australian sandalwood trees for essential oil production, an oil found in many of our fragrances.

In recent years, the community has formed their own company called Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils, a 50%-owned sandalwood oil-processing venture with a 100% aboriginal controlled nonprofit foundation. We have been proud to partner with Dutjahn, and our shared ability to foster collaboration has drawn the power of outside stakeholders including distributors and local governments. In 2019, Dutjahn was one of 22 indigenous communities from around the world to receive the UN Development Programme’s Equator Prize, which recognizes local and indigenous organizations that showcase innovative, nature-based solutions for tackling climate change, environment, and poverty challenges.

Both Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils and The Estée Lauder Companies understand and live this truth: long-term partnerships, like the sandalwood tree itself, take years to mature and nurture their finest yield. Investment of resources, continuous care, and communal passion to protect land and culture, nourish these roots of collaboration. Cultivating relationships through meaningful dialogue is vital to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.