The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, recently hosted another ‘sold out’ climate change event, Making Commercial Sense of Sustainability, which focused on turning environmental responsibility into commercial opportunity.
Held on 19th March at Furniture Makers’ Hall, the event brought together more than 70 business leaders, sustainability experts, manufacturers, designers and specifiers to examine how sustainability can be embedded into business strategy in a way that supports growth, resilience and long-term profitability.
As economic pressures, regulatory change and customer expectations continue to intensify, the event offered practical insights rather than theory, addressing how businesses can respond realistically and competitively, says its organiser.
Following an introduction by the master-elect, Jessica Alexander, the day commenced with a panel discussion on transitioning to more sustainable practices, discussing both achievements and the barriers. The session was moderated by Kate Wright, group sustainability director of DFS Group, with speakers including: Amalie Aarestrup, sustainability manager at Colebrook Bosson Saunders; Timothy Morton, sustainability data and projects analyst at Simba Sleep; and Rollie Attard, MD of Panaz.
Colebrook Bosson Saunders spoke about designing products for longevity and circularity, ensuring products can be repaired and materials recovered over time.
Simba Sleep shared its work around material innovation and improving recyclability, including how the company has refurbished and recycled 61,000 mattresses since 2021.
Panaz highlighted the role of responsible materials and durability in developing more sustainable textile solutions.
One attendee commented after the session: “What is clear is that when leadership at the top is engaged, real progress follows.”
Kate Wright also hosted a session on climate risks. She highlighted that businesses need to act to understand their risks, prepare for incoming regulation to avoid rising costs and ensure that climate risk is a boardroom conversation, not just a sustainability one.
Each presentation was followed by a Q&A session to support the opportunities for interaction and engagement.
The networking lunch period followed sessions on legislation by Nicola Pichel-Juan, sustainability manager at SATRA Technology, and certification schemes by John Hubbard, Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme technical lead, and Beth Grover, sustainable design consultant at Design Conformity.
The afternoon was dedicated to the circular economy, including an informative presentation from Cathie Clarke, CEO of the UK Sustainable Flooring Alliance. The day concluded with an overview of the commercial opportunities by Sonia Sanchez from specialist consultancy, Oakdene Hollins.
The event was organised by The Furniture Makers’ Company’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee and sponsored by the British Furniture Association, Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP), Ocee + Four Design, Panaz, SATRA, and the UK Sustainable Flooring Alliance.
