Over 100 Beauty and Wellness Brands Are Mobilizing Consumers with 'CodeRed4Climate'

When you sit down to write that a group of skincare and cosmetics companies are issuing a joint call for climate activism, you can already hear someone asking “who cares?” or “what does face wash have to do with saving the planet?” in your head. But today’s CodeRed4Climate campaign, backed by more than 100 influential beauty and wellness brands, matters because these brands have very large and dedicated followings – and it matters because every corporation, regardless of size or industry, needs to be finding ways to reduce its footprint and function more sustainably.

Coinciding with Climate Week and the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City where members will discuss climate concerns, CodeRed4Climate was spearheaded by the team at Katherine Power’s vegan skincare brand Versed. Visitors attempting to shop Versed’s site today are instead greeted with a bright red roadblock with a statement: “Versed is closing shop for the day and leading more than 100 brand allies in calling on our lawmakers to pass key climate legislation before it’s too late.”

On board with the campaign are dozens of popular brands, including Milk Makeup, Kosas, Summer Fridays, and Biossance. The participating companies have agreed to a pledge to use their platforms to “mobilize critical climate solutions” and commit to sustainability.

“We, the undersigned 100+ businesses representing all categories of the $500 billion beauty industry, hear the ‘code red for humanity’ and urge you to take action on climate change,” reads an open letter on the CodeRed4Climate site. “Our nation can no longer avoid some of the devastating impacts of climate change. But there is a narrow window to prevent the consequences from getting far worse, depending on the actions we take.”

In addition to the economic impact of the beauty industry, the influence these brands have is massive. Versed alone has more than half a million followers on Instagram, and that’s not uncommon for each of these 100 companies. That could mean millions of followers getting the nudge to contact their leaders and demand policy change.

After the current CodeRed4Climate campaign concludes, the group intends to carry environmental projects forward under the name Planet A because, as they note, there is no Planet B.

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