How Shop Sustainability Started

Our Action Plan & Research Report

Rising eco-consciousness among shoppers in Ireland has given rise to businesses employing eco-deceptive marketing strategies, such as Greenwashing. As a result, small, genuine, sustainable Irish brands have been overshadowed, and we have taken it upon ourselves to fix this sustainable challenge. We aim to 1) provide eco-businesses with a fair market share, 2) increase the online visibility of genuine green products, and 3) create a better shopping experience for eco-conscious shoppers like you!

Rising Eco-Consciousness in Ireland

Eco-conscious consumerism is a growing concept in today’s society. To meet new consumer trends and demand, businesses are producing more eco-friendly products while also incorporating eco-practices into their business models.

The World Wildlife Fund | Sustainability Report Figures

According to The World Wildlife Fund (2021), online searches for sustainable goods increased by 71% between 2016 and 2021. As well as this, a study in 2019 by White, Hardisty and Habib, showed that 65% of people would like to buy from sustainable brands.

However, the number of people who actually do so is much lower at around 26% (White, Hardisty and Habib, 2019), as currently only 1-3% of the entire market are green products (Adrita and Mohiuddin, 2020).

Buy & Plant With Shop Sustainability: A Sustainable Irish Brand

Shop Sustainability provides a platform where eco-conscious shoppers like you can buy from Small Local and Sustainable Businesses (SLSBs). This means that you can browse and buy genuine green products, without worrying about greenwashing. Shop Sustainability offers complete transparency between small sustainable Irish brands, and eco-conscious consumers like yourself.

The Sustainability Challenge | Unfair Market-share and Greenwashing

In an effort to increase profits and brandy loyalty, Large Greenwashing and Unsustainable Businesses (LGUBs) are green-highlighting and greenwashing their brand and products – with a goal of deceiving eco-conscious consumers. This allows LGUBs to overshadow the market, taking market share and online visiblity away from genuine SLSB’s.

H&M | Fast Fashion Cover-up

H&M, a large fast fashion retailer with many stores in Ireland, has been subject to false sustainable fashion claims as well as inconsistent transparency regarding sustainability initiatives. Despite scandals, large retailers like H&M manage to retain their market share due to economies of scale, resources and shareholders (Fraser and Van Der Hen, 2022). These assets allow for LGUBs to have greater funding available to invest in green-highlighting ‘Sustainability Reports’ and discrete greenwashing.

Ikea | Illegal Logging

Ikea, another large retailer in Ireland, was also involved in an unethical scandal, in which they were accused of purposefully engaging in Illegal logging, causing severe deforestation impacts. Ikea back-peddled and stated that they would no longer accept the wood as these actions contradict their “Green” business model (EarthSight, 2021).

Support Sustainable Irish Brands With Shop Sustainability

Current regulations and punishments are not enough catch and stop LGUB deceiving market strategies and practices. To shed some light in the market, we developed Shop Sustainability to provide an ethical multi-stakeholder solution that promotes SLSBs. We have developed this sustainability report around the Sustainable Development Goals as a roadmap to tackling challenges, allowing us to enhance the three pillars of sustainability – Social, Economic and Environment.

The Shop Sustainability Solution

Shop Sustainability offers a shopping experience that not only aligns with the values of eco-conscious consumers, but also enriches their understanding and commitment to sustainable living.

Shop Sustainability allows SLSBs to compete fairly in the Irish market against LGUBs, helping these small sustainable Irish brands to grow and thrive.

The Shop Sustainability platform and SLSB network transforms the Irish marketplace into a supportive environment for small sustainable Irish brands. This network not only counters greenwashing, but also nurtures a community where ethical shopping is the norm.

Shop Sustainability aligns with various SDGs and participates by tackling respective challenges – see more below.

Sustainable Development Goals & Challenges

Sustainable Development Goal 8

The Shop Sustainability platform provides a foundation for SLSBs to achieve “Sustained, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic growth” – SDG 8. Our network, paltform, and marketing strategies provide a means for SLSBs to compete fairly in the Irish Market against LGUBs, increasing employment and the expansion of small sustainable Irish brands.

Shop Sustainability's Targets | SDG 8

Target 8.4 – Shop Sustainability provides a relevant and strong platform for sustainable enterprises to be promoted. This addresses concerns regarding Environmental Degradation and Material Footprint – “Material Footprint Per Capita and Material Footprint per GDP”.

Sustainable Development Goal 12

Shop Sustainability enables improvements in regard to SDG 12, Sustainable Consumption Consumption and Production Patterns. We discourage LGUB behaviour by providing consumers with a platform where LGUBs cannot sell products. This means that you can buy genuine green products from SLSBs without worry.

Shop Sustainability's Targets | SDG 12

Target 12.2 – “By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources”. Shop Sustainability addresses Target 12.2 by encouraging small Irish brands to adopt sustainable and eco-friendly practices as well as to join the Shop Sustainability Network.

Target 8.4 – Shop Sustainability provides a relevant and strong platform for sustainable enterprises to be promoted. This addresses concerns regarding Environmental Degradation and Material Footprint – “Material Footprint Per Capita and Material Footprint per GDP”.

Sustainable Development Goal 13

Shop Sustainability tackles challenges faced in Sustainable Development Goal 13, Climate Action, by raising consumer awareness regarding sustainability and the presence of LGUBs and SLSBs. We also plant one mangrove tree for every product you buy from us.

Shop Sustainability's Targets | SDG 8

Target 13.3 – Shop Sustainability raises awareness regarding the effects of greenwashing by LGUBs, as well as the consequences of buying unsustainable products.

While also being sustainable, the Shop Sustainability platform allows you to give back to the planet by planting a mangrove tree. We also encourage our eco-conscious to pay for carbon emissions as a result of shipping.

Key Outcomes Of The Shop Sustainability Report & Action Plan

Advancing SDGs 8, 12, and 13 in Ireland

Shop Sustainability not only benefits SLSBs in regard to sales revenue and greater market reach; but also entices the Irish government to provide sustainability related grants – such as research and development grants provided by enterprise Ireland under the “Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund’.

Informed Shopping & Consumer Awareness

This platform will result in enhanced consumer awareness about sustainability, which will allow for them to make informed choices towards sustainable products.

Increased Online Visibility and Market Share For Small Sustainable Irish Brands

This increased online visibility will provide possible collaborations with Sustainable Social Media pages, and companies to help promote the SLSBs throughout the online community. In return a greater target market is reached yielding larger market share for the SLSBs.

Why Did We Choose To Tackle This Irish Sustainable Challenge?

Greenwashing has become a systemic issue woven into the fabric of society. Although eco-consciousness is blossoming and has begun to encapsulate the zeitgeist of the 2020’s, LGUBs will continue to deceive and mislead Irish consumers with false claims of sustainability through their branding and sustainability reports in order to stay relevant.

The Shop Sustainability Network: A Platform For Sustainable Irish Brands

However, the introduction of an online SLSB network can assist Ireland in becoming a supportive marketplace for sustainable brands. Through our website, we envision a radical transformation of the Irish marketplace where consumers can have the peace of mind of shopping ethically and where SLSBs can flourish.

Future Ambitions | The Shop Sustainability Report

Expand our range of products, allowing eco-conscious shoppers to browse a larger range of sustainable choices. This will also allow us to support the growth of more SLSBs in rural and urban settings.

As the Shop Sustainability store grows in popularity, with more revenue we can support SDG 15 by contributing more funds to environmental restorations. Additionally, with brick-and-mortar stores, Shop Sustainability could contribute to SDG 9 – ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’, and contribute more to SDG 8 – ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’ by providing floor staff jobs.

Once Shop Sustainability is successful in Ireland, we would like to expand the network to other countries. This would allow Shop Sustainability to have a greater positive impact on the planet, businesses, and consumers.

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