Unwavering green governance has helped Steven Ko achieve net-zero emissions for Taiwanese beauty firm O’right. Now, the sustainability leader shares how companies can fulfil the urgent pledge to protect the planet
With his caffeine shampoo, peach blossom body wash and ferment hand cream, Steven Ko transformed Taiwanese beauty company O’right into one of the greenest companies in the world. Now, the multi-awarded firm, which boasts of a zero-carbon supply chain and an array of natural products, has become the blueprint for putting the planet first.
In November 2022, O’right triumphed at the Sustainable Beauty Awards in Paris, where it was recognised for product development (a scalp revitaliser infused with caffeine extracts), as well as its leadership in the field. More recently, in February 2023, Ko, its CEO and founder, was invited to discuss the success of O’right at Sustainability Week Asia in Singapore, where over 90 sustainability leaders exchanged ideas about the green revolution.
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Why companies must fulfil the global net-zero pledge
Ko focused on the critical role of companies during this increasingly urgent time for climate change. For him, the time to act is now, and all companies should work toward the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. “We all know that climate change is caused by high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” he says to Tatler. “Since the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 to the United Nations COP (Conference of Parties) climate summit in recent years, it is hoped that all countries will achieve net zero emissions by 2030.”
The CEO is well-equipped to speak about climate change mitigation, with O’right achieving carbon neutrality across its operations and in 77 of its products as early as 2020. “Every decision we make as a sustainable business is underpinned by core values—green, sustainability, innovation,” Ko says. “We lead the beauty industry to sustainable corporate governance and pioneer the pathway to net zero.”
According to Ko, it took 15 years to develop the company’s zero-carbon supply chain, starting with a comprehensive carbon inventory, which identified emission hotspots in product life cycles, from material acquisition and manufacturing to consumer use and waste recycling and everything else in between. From there, O’right’s green supply chain was developed to incorporate green ingredients, create circular packaging and more.
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