Letter from the Founder of Sisters In Sustainability
Emma Slade Edmondson, founder of Sisters In Sustainability (SIS UK), writes its story.
What the landscape was like when I founded Sisters In Sustainability (SIS)
When I started my work in sustainable fashion back in 2008, I felt like I was always ‘the only’ in any given room.
It was lonely, and I definitely found it a challenge asserting myself and sometimes being heard.
As the years went on I became more and more embedded in the sustainability space and to begin with circles were small. Everyone seemed to know each other and still I never really saw much representation.
I didn’t feel like there was much platforming of other women who looked like me in the space.
Then, in 2018, I was invited onto Channel 5 to talk about sustainability and reuse.
This was not an invitation to talk about ‘doing sustainability while Black’, it was not tokenistic. It was simply an invitation to talk about my work and to share my knowledge of sustainability.
I remember just how delighted I was.
So imagine how my delight exploded when I found three other Black women in the green room.
We’d all been asked to come on the same segment.
I believe that we were all so surprised to find each other there that that is why, silently, without anyone suggesting it, we held hands in a circle in that green room before we went on.
There was an unspoken acknowledgement of how special it was to find each other, and to find each other there in this scenario, about to be on screen together as a trio of excellence.
Why I founded Sisters in Sustainability
I founded Sisters In Sustainability (SIS) in 2020, after reading an article by Piarvé Wetshi that highlighted women of colour working in sustainability.
I felt it was high past time we were brought together to share resources, and advocate for one another, to be inspired by one another’s projects and to take on the work knowing we had each other at our backs.
SIS was founded to provide a safe space for women from the global majority, to uplift us, highlight our work, provide mutual support, opportunities and representation.
A bit about me – why the world of sustainability needed this collective
My career in sustainability started with fashion and second hand retail. I’m proud to have created and contributed to some of the major campaigns that shifted public attitudes towards second-hand fashion.
From there, my career in behaviour change, sustainability and marketing consultancy grew
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to:
Develop the first-ever second-hand fashion show officially recognised by London Fashion Week via Charity Fashion Live.
Serve as a thought leader and sustainability awards panel judge (Marie Claire, multiple years).
Redesign and develop Cancer Research UK’s retail strategy and flagship store.
Lead the UK NGO sector in reframing second-hand fashion, consulting for Oxfam Retail, Barnardo’s, Cancer Research UK, British Red Cross, and Love Not Landfill.
Be recognised as a Forbes 100 Environmentalist.
Deliver a TEDx Talk (Life Finds A Way)
Graduate from Cambridge in Governance in Sustainability for Business.
Speak and facilitate for organisations such as Drapers, Retail Week, Retail Gazette, Shelter, and The British Council.
Publish as an author and speaker.
Win a Sustainability Influencer Award.
The impact Sisters In Sustainability has had to date
Excitingly, since I first started in the field, Sisters In Sustainability (SIS) has continued to grow in visibility and impact.
We’ve collaborated with brands and organisations including L’Occitane, Copenhagen Fashion Week, The Lab E20, and The Good Clothes Show.
Our work as a collective continues to expand – connecting, amplifying, and celebrating the women who are reshaping the sustainability landscape.
Through Sisters In Sustainability, I wanted to channel all that experience and learning into something collective, something that ensures no one has to feel like “the only one in the room” again.
Together, we are creating a movement rooted in community, visibility, and impact – a sisterhood that continues to grow and change the sustainability space for good.
Follow along with the journey over at @sis_uk.
