British prime minister Gordon Brown today led tributes to Body Shop founder Anita Roddick today.
Ms Roddick suffered a brain haemorrhage and died in hospital yesterday at 64.
Mr Brown described her as a "true pioneer" who inspired millions to take an ethical approach to business
"As one of this country's most successful businesswomen, she was an inspiration to women throughout the country striving to set up and grow their own companies," Mr Brown said. "She campaigned for green issues for many years before it became fashionable to do so."
Irish Green Party deputy leader Mary White said Ms Roddick was a committed campaigner for ethical trading.
"She succeeded in engaging a generation of consumers in her bid to raise consumer consciousness to the merits of ethical trading, and in doing business without consuming the earth," Ms White said. "She was an example that we in the Green movement can point to and say: 'Why can't more businesses follow her lead?'"
Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper described her as a leading light of the green movement. Newspaper headlines paid tribute to "the green queen".
Roddick founded The Body Shop in Brighton in 1976, selling toiletries made from natural ingredients, and her business grew into an empire of more than 2,000 stores in 51 different markets. She sold her stake in the Body Shop to France's L'Oreal last year.