Keeping animals safe
The Body Shop and Cruelty Free International’s campaign to end cosmetic animal testing gains wide support, writes Meera Murugesan
ANIMALS shouldn’t pay the price for beauty. The fight against the use of animals for cosmetics testing has taken on new traction thanks to a well-supported campaign. On Oct 4, which was World Animal Day, The Body Shop and Cruelty Free International brought 8.3 million signatures against cosmetic animal testing to the United Nations’ (UN) headquarters in New York City to create a global framework to end animal testing while advancing the UN’s sustainable development agenda.
The celebration of these signatures is a culmination of more than 30 years of advocacy between The Body Shop, the first international beauty brand to campaign against animal testing in cosmetics, and its long-time campaign partner, Cruelty Free International, the first global, non-profit organisation dedicated to ending cosmetic product and ingredient testing on animals.
The joint effort is the most ambitious campaign ever against cosmetic animal testing and serves as a model to inspire action from businesses, governments and citizens to advance Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG12): Responsible Consumption and Production and other key responsible production and consumption issues.
The petition signatures, collected from supporters around the world in just 15 months, calls on the countries of the UN to formalise an international framework to end cosmetic animal testing, everywhere and forever.
Cosmetic animal testing is cruel, oldfashioned, expensive and inefficient. Today, there are more reliable alternatives. The Body Shop and many other cruelty-free companies use innovative and effective cruelty-free ingredients in all their products, all tested through innovative nonanimal methods.
Although there has been sizable progress, including the European Union prohibiting all cosmetic animal testing in 2013 as well as the sale of products tested elsewhere, 80 per cent of countries still have not made it illegal to test cosmetics on animals.
Cruelty Free International estimates that more than 500,000 animals each year are used in cosmetics testing.
A global framework is the only way to eliminate animal suffering and create a level playing field around the world.
Harmonising safety testing requirements globally would allow companies to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy and test duplication when accessing international markets to fill the consumer demand for safe and humane cosmetics.
Not only would a global framework give confidence to companies that they are producing safe and effective cosmetics while meeting consumer demand for truly cruelty-free products, but also, the global framework would align with the UN’s vision of a world in which humanity lives in harmony with nature and in which wildlife and other species are protected.
“In just 15 months more than eight million people signed their names in recognition that cosmetic animal testing is outdated, cruel and unnecessary,” says David Boynton, CEO of The Body Shop.
“We are determined to finish what Dame Anita Roddick, our founder, started back in 1989.”
“Together with the activist spirit of our store teams and customers around the world, we have reached more consum- ers with this campaign than we ever have before,” says Jessie Macneil-Brown, Global Head of Activism at The Body Shop.
“The support of so many people around the world demonstrates that corporate activism can make a positive impact on a global scale.”
People are misinformed about cosmetic animal testing says Michelle Thew, CEO of Cruelty Free International.
But The Forever Against Animal Testing petition demonstrates that across the globe, people want this cruel practice to end she adds and a global framework is the only way to truly eliminate animal suffering.
Lise Kingo, CEO and executive director of the UN Global Compact says this initiative shows the potential for brands to engage and mobilise consumers in support of the SDGs, and how, by combining business innovation, enabling policies and consumer power, real change can be achieved.
“The SDGs are everybody’s business and we look forward to working with The Body Shop to build and share industry knowledge and insights on how to harness consumers and drive collective action in support of more responsible production and consumption patterns.”
Consumers can get involved with the campaign by joining the online rally at https://www.thebodyshop.com/againstanimal-testing, and can show their support by using the hashtag #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting on social media.