Shannan Sterne is an award-nominated journalist, copywriter, mentor, and consultant published globally. She has experience at world-renowned retail organisations, national consumer glossies, creative content agencies and industry trade magazines. Sterne is a copy consultant for global skincare brand StriVectin, a reporter for Canvas8, and a social media strategist for Invito Design. She has also guest lectured at Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design and Falmouth University. Sterne has previously written for titles including Harrods, Superdrug, Red, 

Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience. 

Personal Worlds

Conversations about sustainability are no longer enough. As it becomes all but certain that global heating will increase beyond the 1.5°C of the Paris Agreement, the effects of climate change are already a reality for many communities worldwide. People are not only sensing the urgency of the matter but are realising that existing strategies – on a personal and collective level – are not sufficient.

While companies and businesses were quick to make environmental pledges and commitments, demonstrated by the rising ESG movement in recent years, the momentum has slowed or reversed in the face of economic downturn and potential culture war boycotts. Both people and companies are increasingly confused about the language of sustainability, and vague and misleading vocabulary has led to cases of greenwashing. While climate change is acknowledged as a pressing matter, people no longer understand how they can make a difference – feeling mistrust, scepticism, and fatigue from the oversaturation of messaging from big companies. At the same time, others are angry at the lack of progress, taking more drastic measures to spur governments, businesses, and billionaires into taking action and accountability for their disproportionate environmental impact.

Facing polycrisis in a world that's more interconnected and globalised than ever, people recognise the need for new leaders and ways to mobilise. They're calling for more intersectional approaches to sustainability, looking at long-term social, environmental, economic, and ethical impacts across the supply chain.

At the same time, the cost of living crisis is having a significant impact on people's sustainable behaviours. People often prioritise price over ethics (even if the growth of the eco-luxury sector shows no signs of stopping) but are also increasingly adopting circularity to save on costs – buying more secondhand, seeking out durability, repairing more, and sharing more.

Sustainable Solutions

Karine Laudort is a freelance editor who specialises in beauty and fashion editorial. She has over 18 years of experience, during which she held the titles of editor at Glam Africa magazine and head of digital content at Style of the City magazine. She has also written for 

Germany

Skincare

Mintel

CosmeticsDesign Europe

Women’s Health

Vogue

Statista

PS Market Research

Interview with Karine Laudort conducted by the author

Kemira

Clean Energy Wire

PR Newswire

Provenance

Bain & Company

Forbes

Elle

Croda Beauty

Harper’s Bazaar

Sustainable Outfits

Ethos

German brand Weleda has been creating botanical formulas for over 100 years, with Rihanna and Julia Roberts among its celebrity advocates. As people grow unsatisfied with simple ‘natural’ claims, the brand’s continued success stems from its adaptation to the need for transparency in beauty.

Cultivate

Living Well

Values and Identity

How Weleda repackages skincare for eco-conscious Germans