A forward-looking approach is endemic to the notion of sustainability. It entails the balancing act of looking after our current needs, without compromising resources for future generations. To its detriment, sustainability has become a buzzword, something of a corporate tick-box used to present a façade of social responsibility. After BP’s ‘Keep Advancing’ campaign, Climate Earth lawyers contested their supposed commitment to decarbonisation and use of sustainable renewables. In reality, 96% of BP’s annual capital expenditure is spent on non-renewable oil and gas, falsifying any environmentally-friendly claims and exposing the company’s greenwashing.
The current corporate failings to include sustainable practises can be seen as symptomatic of an additional, yet equally malign, societal issue; the pervasive influence of female underrepresentation. In order for the business paradigm to shift towards prioritising sustainability, it must not be dominated by a single demographic. Uneven gender representation has persistently plagued the business world, and it is universally accepted that women are at a fundamental disadvantage. This has manifested itself in issues such as the gender pay gap, with 78% of Britain’s top employers reporting a remuneration percentage gap in 2020. In order to eliminate the biggest deterrents preventing women from going into business, women need to be leading the green movement transforming the commercial climate.
In honour of International Women’s Day, it is time to celebrate the sustainable female business women shaking up the business world. These women demonstrate that the simultaneous application of an aptitude for business with a genuine compassion for the planet, produces fierce, yet environmentally friendly, female entrepreneurs.
When Suzanne Siemens co-founded Aisle in 1993, her long-term goal was to, “change the model of capitalism so that sustainability, transparency, and taking care of the supply chain and the community are equally important as the top line.” Aisle sells reusable period products and underwear, and have made millions of dollars in revenue. The company’s pads are made at a female-owned, zero-waste factory in Vancouver, whilst the period underwear is manufactured in a state-of-the-art factory in Cambodia that provides workers with free hot lunches and pension plans. The company have received a groundswell of support for their dignity products, which help to eradicate period poverty and mitigate their unsustainability. The brand encapsulates the essence of female empowerment, by providing a safe, sustainable, patriarchy-free period.
Another woman at the forefront of the sustainable business movement is Sally Uren. Sally is the CEO of Forum for the Future, a non-profit focused on inspiring the systemic change needed to accelerate the clean economy. The corporation have catalysed a movement against the environmental abuse entrenched in many global supply chains, by focusing on a regenerative, rather than merely extractive, model of business. By convening transformational collaborations to drive progress, they have built a global community of change makers, led by women.
An additional trailblazer in sustainable consumerism is Janine Beynus. Janine co-founded Biomimicry 3.8, the world’s first bio-inspired consultancy that bring sustainable designs to over 250 clients including Nike, Herman Miller, Kohler and more. Biomimicry is a discipline that emulates nature’s designs and processes to create a healthier, more sustainable planet. The company offer biological intelligence consultations to large firms, providing them with a range of tools and courses which they can then apply to their businesses. Women make up over half the staff employed at the company, and are positioned in prominent roles such as managing directors and research specialists.
In the words of Kofi Annan, “there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.” This considered, it is imperative we harvest and foster female entrepreneurship to benefit most from the intersection between commercial sustainability and female representation. Women are pioneering a systemic change, it is time the rest of the world followed suit.
This article is part of a themed content week celebrating International Women’s Day and women who inspire us.