17 Ways Beauty Can Support the UN Sustainable Development Goals
17 Ways Beauty Can Support the UN Sustainable Development Goals
A Pradeep Global Foundation (PGF) Perspective
The beauty industry touches billions of people every day — from the soaps we use in the morning to the creams we apply before bed. Yet behind every formula, fragrance, and bottle lies a deeper opportunity: to make beauty not just about appearance but about impact.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — adopted by 193 nations in 2015 — define the global blueprint for peace, prosperity, and planetary well-being by 2030. These 17 Goals invite every industry, including beauty, to rethink how it creates, consumes, and cares.
At Pradeep Global Foundation (PGF), we believe beauty can become one of the most accessible entry points to sustainability — a bridge between personal care and planetary care. Through our flagship initiative, Orelli Paris, a French-inspired and Korean-science-enhanced sustainable-beauty project, PGF demonstrates how cosmetics can contribute to each SDG in practical, measurable ways.
1 – No Poverty (SDG 1)
How beauty helps: The global cosmetics supply chain can generate dignified livelihoods. By sourcing responsibly and supporting local entrepreneurs, brands can lift families out of poverty.
PGF in action: Training rural women as beauticians and small-business owners ensures steady income and financial independence.
2 – Zero Hunger (SDG 2)
How beauty helps: Sustainable agriculture feeds both people and planet. Many skincare actives — aloe, chamomile, green tea — come from farms that can double as food sources.
Orelli Paris example: Preference for botanical actives cultivated through eco-farming supports regenerative agriculture and food security for grower communities.
3 – Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3)
How beauty helps: Safe, dermatologically tested formulations protect consumers’ health and mental well-being. Clean water and hygiene access are also part of beauty’s ecosystem.
PGF link: Hygiene drives, toxin-free product awareness, and Orelli Paris’s vegan, cruelty-free formulas promote physical and emotional wellness.
4 – Quality Education (SDG 4)
How beauty helps: Training programs in cosmetology, formulation, and sustainability create long-term skills.
PGF example: “Beauty & Sustainability Academy” modules teach rural youth eco-friendly practices and entrepreneurship, blending craft and climate literacy.
5 – Gender Equality (SDG 5)
How beauty helps: Over 80 % of the global beauty workforce is female. With equitable pay, ownership, and representation, beauty becomes a driver of gender justice.
PGF x Orelli Paris: Women are trained, financed, and featured as local ambassadors — proving empowerment is the most beautiful ingredient.
6 – Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6)
How beauty helps: Production can conserve water through closed-loop systems and low-rinse formulations.
PGF work: River-cleaning and water-awareness campaigns at Brijghat Ganga complement Orelli’s commitment to water-efficient manufacturing.
7 – Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7)
How beauty helps: Factories and salons can shift to solar or wind power.
Future plan: PGF aims to pilot solar-powered community salons operated by trained women — merging renewable energy with social enterprise.
8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)
How beauty helps: Ethical sourcing, fair wages, and green-job creation stimulate local economies.
Impact: Orelli Paris’s packaging supply chain includes MSMEs and artisans who craft recycled boxes, ensuring profit with purpose.
9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9)
How beauty helps: Investment in R&D for biodegradable packaging, refill systems, and bio-active ingredients drives innovation.
French connection: PGF draws from France’s ADEME and AFD models to design circular infrastructure for Indian MSMEs.
10 – Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10)
How beauty helps: Inclusive hiring and accessible pricing make self-care universal.
PGF practice: Community pricing for rural salons and accessible awareness programs ensure that clean beauty isn’t a privilege but a right.
11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)
How beauty helps: Urban salons and cosmetic stores can become micro-hubs for recycling and education.
PGF vision: Partner with municipalities to create Eco-Beauty Zones that collect used jars and run sustainability workshops.
12 – Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12)
How beauty helps: The core of the circular economy — refill, reuse, recycle — applies directly to cosmetics.
Orelli Paris model: Glass packaging, minimal boxes, refill development, and biodegradable shipping align precisely with this goal.
13 – Climate Action (SDG 13)
How beauty helps: Reducing emissions from sourcing, packaging, and logistics lowers industry carbon impact.
PGF commitment: Localized manufacturing, reforestation projects, and climate-literacy campaigns position beauty as a climate ally, not a culprit.
14 – Life Below Water (SDG 14)
How beauty helps: Eliminating microplastics, using marine-safe sunscreens, and recycling bottles protect aquatic ecosystems.
Orelli Paris approach: Zero microbeads + reef-safe formulations = cleaner rivers and oceans.
15 – Life on Land (SDG 15)
How beauty helps: Sustainable harvesting of botanicals preserves biodiversity.
PGF initiative: Tree-planting drives and biodiversity gardens around manufacturing clusters restore local habitats.
16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16)
How beauty helps: Transparent supply chains and honest marketing build consumer trust — the foundation of ethical institutions.
PGF stance: Orelli Paris voluntarily discloses ingredient origins, promoting integrity across partners and suppliers.
17 – Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)
How beauty helps: Collaboration between governments, NGOs, researchers, and brands multiplies impact.
PGF example: Indo-French cooperation linking PGF, Orelli Paris, Korean R&D partners, and local women’s groups exemplifies SDG 17 in action.
Connecting the Dots: Beauty as a Bridge Between People and Planet
The SDGs are interlinked; progress in one accelerates others. When the beauty sector commits to sustainability, the ripple effects spread far beyond skincare:
- Cleaner rivers because packaging becomes recyclable.
- Healthier communities because women gain income and education.
- Fairer economies because production becomes local and ethical.
At PGF, beauty is not vanity — it is visibility: visibility for women, for artisans, for the Earth itself.
The Orelli Paris Philosophy: Glow With Purpose
Orelli Paris, inspired by French refinement and Korean innovation, embodies PGF’s belief that aesthetics and ethics can thrive together.
Core Principles
- Formulated in France, Made for the World — ensuring traceability and high standards.
- Next-Gen Korean Science — for clinically effective yet gentle formulations.
- Sustainability as Luxury — glass packaging, cruelty-free certification, and refill readiness.
- Inclusivity as Identity — products and training programs accessible across genders and geographies.
Each Orelli Paris cream, mask, or serum is designed not only to restore skin but to remind us that personal care and planetary care are one continuum.
Why Embassies and Development Agencies Should Care
Sustainable beauty aligns directly with climate diplomacy and soft power.
- It translates the Paris Agreement into tangible consumer behavior.
- It builds local employment, supporting France–India development cooperation.
- It strengthens cross-border innovation ecosystems — a pillar of the SDGs.
Through PGF and Orelli Paris, embassies and international partners can see a micro-model of the 2030 Agenda at work.
A Shared Responsibility
Every time someone chooses a refillable jar or a cruelty-free cream, they vote for a cleaner, fairer world.
Every brand that redesigns its packaging or trains a woman artisan adds one more link in the global SDG chain.
Consumers → Brands → Communities → Planet: this is the circular flow of modern beauty.
Conclusion: The Glow of Sustainability
The 17 UN SDGs are not just policy targets — they are a call to reimagine everyday industries as forces for good.
Beauty, with its vast reach and emotional resonance, can lead that transformation.
At PGF, our motto “Travailler pour la nature – Working for Nature” captures this vision: where each jar of cream or drop of serum contributes to a larger act of healing — for skin, society, and the planet.
The future of beauty is not just radiant — it is responsible.
