In today’s interview find out more about Sian Conway the founder of Ethical Hour.
Thank you for supporting Going Green in 2019, what were your reasons for wanting to get involved this year?
It’s really important that we encourage everyone to take small steps towards a more sustainable lifestyle. There was a fantastic quote that went viral recently – “we don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly, we need everyone doing it imperfectly!” – in the fight against climate change, plastic pollution and the many issues our beautiful planet is facing, it’s essential that we all make moves to a lower impact lifestyle.
I’ve been blogging about ways to do this for 3 years, and I’ve recently been appointed as one of the Government’s Ambassadors for their Year of Green Action, so I’m looking forward to this opportunity to inspire more people to be as sustainable as they can.
Where is home for you?
Worcestershire, UK
How easy is it to live sustainably where you live and work?
We now have a zero waste shop which makes life much easier! I think wherever you live there are simple things you can do – like switching to green energy, but some things are harder than others. Avoiding plastic can be really difficult for example. There’s some switches I’ve been able to make with a little research about what’s available locally – such as farm shops. I’ve even found a cruelty-free, vegan salon who allow me to refill my shampoo and conditioner bottles too!
What’s the hardest thing about living sustainably?
It’s frustrating that living sustainably costs more and is less convenient. The responsibility falls to the consumer to do their research and make the right choice. If we can get big business on board and stronger legislation in place, we can make it easier for everyone.
What small change in your life has made a big impact so far?
I started my ethical living journey over 3 years ago so I’ve made lots of changes in that time. Switching to a green energy provider for my home and business was a simple one, giving up fast fashion wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be once I discovered the joy of rummaging through charity shops, and I’ve recently started eating more plant based meals.
If you could have 3 eco-wishes granted what would they be?
1. A more sustainable packaging alternative to plastic
2. All businesses playing their part in achieving the SDGs
3. A clear, worldwide plan for tackling climate change within 10 years
Who is your sustainability hero and why?
I have so many! At the moment though I have so much admiration for Greta Thunberg and all the children using their voices for change in the Climate Strikes – it’s their future at stake and we should all get behind them.
Where do you hope we (as a collective on planet earth) will be by 2025?
We already have a lot of the technology and resources we need to tackle climate change. I hope that by 2025 we’ve got it under control, we’ve established more green spaces to encourage biodiversity, we’re all living a more plant based, sustainable lifestyle and conscious consumerism is the norm. By 2025 I hope all businesses will operate sustainably, maintain ethical practices and give back. We will have achieved the Sustainable Development Goals and tackled the major issues we’re facing as a society. It’s ambitious, but if we all work together it can be done!W
And finally what will be your Going Green Pledge be for 2019?
I’m in the process of making my office completely paperless, so I’d like to complete that in 2019 and try to become completely plastic free too!
Don’t forget to book your ticket & mark the time in your diary
The event kicks off at 6pm and finishes around 10pm – all you need is WiFi to join us.
VIP Tickets sell out fast so book soon to avoid delay
*Sian Conway is not offering any VIP sessions this year, but all 10 others speakers are – do check them out
Sian Conway will be speaking during the #EthicalLiving segment during our Going Green 2019 Online Summit, you can catch her talk about Easy Ethical Living during the 8- 9pm slot.
This interview was created by the EBD Team – you can find out more about our team and what we do here