The Body Shop launches Bio-Bridge sustainability project

Skincare retailer The Body Shop has launched the Bio-Bridges initiative, which aims to regenerate and safeguard 75 million square metres of forests from exploitation and unsustainable harvesting by 2020.

This initiative is an element of the global beauty brand’s Commitment to Enrich Not Exploit the World programme.

The new initiative will begin with Vietnam and India this year.

The Body Shop corporate responsibility and campaigns director Christopher Davis said: "We want to focus on actively enriching the world’s biodiversity. These areas of forest in Vietnam are biological treasure troves that are being destroyed through poaching and llegal logging.

"Bio-Bridges are an innovative way to create protected corridors of biodiversity that allow the wider forest to flourish and its inhabitants to breed and thrive. In Vietnam, within five to ten years we hope to be able to see endangered species multiply."

In Vietnam, the initiative will begin at Khe Nuoc Trong forest while in India, it will start in the Garo Hills.

Last week, The Body Shop International hired Lisa Houghton to represent the brand as global makeup artist.

As part of her new role, she will work to develop products and create seasonal looks, which will be shown through digital content creations and tutorial videos.