Sustainable Beauty Coalition unveils three co-chairs
By Rebecca Hitchon | 18 May 2023 | Movers & Shakers, News
The Sustainable Beauty Coalition (SBC), formed by the British Beauty Council in 2021, has announced three co-chairs, who will lead the Coalition’s strategy for the next year.
Jo Chidley, Mark Smith and Oriele Frank will combine their expertise across packaging, certification and product sustainability to drive systematic sustainability development across the beauty industry.
The trio will focus on tackling consumer, industry and policy challenges, spearheading change across topics including greenwashing, plastic waste and consumption, and extended producer responsibility.
Jo Chidley is a circular economy expert, chemist & co-founder of Beauty Kitchen; Mark Smith is director general of NATRUE, an international non-profit association for natural and organic cosmetics; and Oriele Frank is chief product & sustainability officer & co-founder of Elemis.
“The Sustainable Beauty Coalition is about working together on issues that matter – it is our prerogative to share, support and shape the future of our planet through collective action, and amplify our impact from all corners of the industry,” shares Jo Chidley. “I’m excited to be co-chair working alongside people who inspire me every day.”
Mark Smith, who has been representing NATRUE on the SBC steering committee since 2021, comments: “Collaboration is key, so I am delighted to be promoted to co-chair to share leadership of the coalition with my esteemed colleagues. We will continue our work with a wide-range of stakeholders, to inform, engage and most importantly, champion change.”
“The UN say this is ‘the decade of action’, with calls for accelerating sustainable solutions for all of the world’s biggest challenges,” adds Oriele Frank. “As co-chair, I will work to ensure the beauty industry is uniting to help drive change across all sectors. It’s about progress, not perfection.”
Jayn Sterland, managing director of Weleda & founding chairperson of the SBC, is also being promoted to the British Beauty Council’s pillar president for environmental, social and governance.
“As my two-year tenure as Sustainable Beauty Coalition chair draws to a close, it is encouraging to see how the SBC has truly found its voice,” she comments. “There has been significant progress but there’s still much to be done, in an industry that is often resistant to change. Birthing a sustainable, future-proof beauty industry can be a laborious and at times, painful process, but is essential to our continued evolution.
“I look forward to my new role supporting the British Beauty Council on issues including the industry’s impact on the planet (environmental), on people via our relationships with employees, suppliers and customers (social), and the impact of leadership (governance).
“Our aim is to push for industry-wide adoption of environmental regulations, bring an end to greenwashing claims, ensure inclusivity and diversity across all sectors, and shine a spotlight on the valuable part that beauty plays in wellness.”
The SBC’s co-chairs will be supported by a steering committee, comprised of the following sustainable experts:
- Sara Vaughan, creator of brands with purpose & positive change maker
- Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet & PlasticFree
- Laura Babbs, global head of sustainability at No7 Beauty Company
- Ruth Andrade, earth care strategy lead at Lush Cosmetics
- Elsie Rutterford, co-founder of BYBI
- Barbara Colombo, sustainability director at L’Oréal UK&I
An advisory board of 34 beauty and wider-industry sustainability specialists will work with the co-chairs and steering committee, to shape strategies and increase awareness of the SBC’s work.