MAM
Streaming low for a higher cause Brookfield rewrites Earth Day playbook
MUMBAI: Who says sustainability can’t stream with style? In a clever twist on Earth Day campaigning, Brookfield Properties has launched a purpose-led sustainability initiative titled ‘Powered by Purpose’, anchored around what it proudly calls “the least impactful video ever.”
But don’t be fooled by the pixel count. The low-resolution digital film deliberately blurred and bare-bones isn’t a creative misstep, it’s a bold call to rethink our high-definition habits. With Earth Day 2025’s global theme “Our Planet. Our Power” as inspiration, the campaign nudges viewers to question the environmental cost of digital binging and embrace mindful streaming.
“The video is symbolic and represents a much deeper commitment. The real impact lies in the work we do every day across our campuses, within our communities, and through our long-term focus on renewable energy and climate-positive development. Powered by Purpose reflects how we build, operate, and contribute to a more sustainable future” said Brookfield Properties in India Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing and Key Account Management Reema Kundnani.
And the company’s boots-on-ground action speaks louder than even 4K video. As part of the six-week campaign, Brookfield will plant over 5,000 native trees in Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR, adding to the success of its earlier Forest of Hope project. That initiative, which saw more than 3,000 trees take root, is estimated to sequester 1,500 tonnes of CO₂ and produce 2,700 plus tonnes of oxygen annually.
Brookfield’s green track record already includes some eye-catching numbers. 40 per cent of Delhi-NCR’s energy needs are now powered by renewable sources, thanks to the company’s Bikaner Solar Power Project. 1.5 million plus sq. ft. of green cover has been cultivated across Indian campuses. 20,000 plus metric tonnes of CO₂ eliminated annually, the equivalent of removing 4,300 cars from the road
With an ambitious roadmap in place, the firm aims to power 100 per cent of its India portfolio with clean energy by 2027, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, if not earlier.
This Earth Day, Brookfield is not just planting trees, it’s planting ideas. Through ‘Powered by Purpose’, the real estate giant hopes to drive a larger cultural shift toward sustainability, proving that even the smallest resolution can lead to a powerful ripple effect.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
