Our thinking

Cutting emissions and your hair

15 September, 2023

Wednesday marked Marie Claire UK’s third annual Sustainability Awards, a celebration of brands, products and businesses that are committed to implementing sustainable practices and driving real change. The award categories covered a range of industries including fashion, beauty, technology and food and drink. Entries were judged by a team of over 50 sustainability experts, including our very own Giles, CEO of Good Business! 

In light of recent greenwashing issues, the Sustainability Awards play an important role in championing brands that are genuine and innovative in their offer of sustainable products and services, and willingness to be held to account. For consumers interested in sustainability, the awards provide a useful and engaging tool to identify products and brands with strong environmental and social credentials. 

On a more personal note, we are very excited to share the news that our good friends over at Net Zero Now were awarded the Tech prize for their Net Zero Salons Programme (you’ll also be pleased to hear this category was not judged by Giles!). The programme is an industry-first, providing salons with the tools and resources needed to track and manage their greenhouse gas emissions and create a climate action plan. The impact of this sector cannot be underestimated with 31,200 hair salons in the UK, and each appointment contributing on average 3.1kg of greenhouse gas emissions. If all salons across the UK adopted the programme, the combined reduction in energy use could be the equivalent energy consumption of 60,000 households. The programme also provides an exciting opportunity for salons to engage their consumers and bring people closer to the sustainability agenda. 

To find out more about the Net Zero Salons Programme and Net Zero Now, please click here. 

By Charlotte Pounder