Can Beauty Go Green? – A New Educational Campaign by Garnier
Image by Garnier
Human activities are the leading cause of climate change. As individuals, we may find it challenging to recognize our responsibility to execute behavioral adjustments to achieve sustainability. Addressing this issue, Garnier has launched an educational campaign on sustainable consumption as the brand’s next step in Green Beauty.
Garnier is an established beauty brand with over a century of experience. Today, Garnier produces 1.8 billion products each year across 64 countries. With its massive production scale, the brand previously announced its commitment to sustainable development through Garnier’s Green Beauty initiative and Sustainability Progress Report 2020.
This initiative is a complete end-to-end approach to sustainability with targets set for 2025, aiming to transform every stage of Garnier’s value chain to reduce its environmental impact. To achieve its vision to empower 250 million people to live greener, Garnier held a global live-streaming event on October 1 to reveal the brand’s newest commitment.
According to Garnier Sustainability Research 2021, 81% of people want to be more sustainable. Yet, less than 6% have taken day-to-day action. Sustainability is achievable only when everyone works together. Garnier finds it critical to empower consumers with knowledge on how we can take action.
A panel of sustainability experts joined Adrien Koskas, Garnier Brand President, in a discussion. The panel included Dr. Imogen Napper, Expedition Scientist at National Geographic; Rosa Vasquez Espinoza, Explorer at National Geographic; Andrew Almack, Founder of Plastics for Change; Wanjiku Gatheru, Climate Activist; and Stephanie Shepherd, Founder of Future Earth. They emphasized the urgency of sustainable consumption and tried to tackle the important question: Can Beauty Go Green?
The first step of this new commitment is to launch a new series of educational content produced by National Geographic CreativeWorks. This series will provide consumers with real-world practical advice on changes we can make in our daily life. The content will also bring expert knowledge, covering beauty-related sustainability topics such as plastic & packaging, water usage, and green science.
Garnier’s Green Beauty initiative has steered the brand to a more sustainable business model with the Solidarity Sourcing program, green science & formulas, approval by the Cruelty-Free International Leaping Bunny Program, lower carbon emission & more renewable energy, and more recycled & recyclable materials. Currently, 97% of new or renovated Garnier products have an improved environmental or social profile, and 99% of the ingredients are vegan.
Furthermore, Garnier has set to achieve ambitious targets:
- By 2025, Garnier will aim to use Zero Virgin Plastic in all packaging, saving 40,000 tonnes of plastic every year
- By 2022, all plant-based and renewable ingredients will be sustainably sourced
- By 2025, 100% of Garnier’s new products will have an improved environmental profile
- By 2025, 100% of industrial sites will be carbon neutral through the use of renewable energy
- By 2025, Garnier will have empowered 1000 communities worldwide through the Solidarity Sourcing program
Sustainable development requires all stakeholders—governments, businesses, civil society—to be held accountable. When the government regulates, businesses give environmental options, and consumers use personal choice wisely, we can take solution-based action. Together, we must keep stepping forward, just like in the poem recited during the event, One Small Step.
Editor: Marlis Afridah
Aliyah Assegaf
Aliyah is a Contributing Author at Green Network Asia. She graduated from Universitas Indonesia with a bachelor's degree in Social Welfare.
Nazalea Kusuma
Naz is the Manager of International Digital Publications at Green Network Asia. She is an experienced and passionate writer, editor, proofreader, translator, and creative designer with over a decade of portfolio. Her history of living in multiple areas across Southeast Asia and studying Urban and Regional Planning exposed her to diverse peoples and cultures, enriching her perspectives and sharpening her intersectionality mindset in her storytelling and advocacy on sustainability-related issues and sustainable development.
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