ClubZero hopes to offer an alternative to single-use plastics with a simple design system, which encourages consumers to borrow reusable cups and bowls. Design Week reports on developments at the brand which “aims to provide a circular system by supplying reusable cups and to-go containers to cafes and restaurants”. Read the story here

Musician and artist Beatie Wolfe has created an interactive video installation depicting rising carbon levels in the atmosphere. From Green to Red acts as a video to a Beatie Wolfe song of the same name. The project aims to "take intangible data and make it something that people can relate to," Wolfe told Dezeen. Story here

The Global Design Forum at this year’s London Design Festival has a number of events discussing topics that should be of interest to the URGE community. September 20 sees a series of three talks, sponsored by SAP, under the banner The Circular Design Project. Plastics, Food and Fashion will be covered as “contributors from some of the world’s largest brands join with independent designers, experts and activists who have made the Circular Economy central to their work”. Designer Paul Priestman will be joining the Plastics panel while Central St Martins’ Professor in Design for Sustainable Futures Carole Collet will be on the Fashion opal. Details here

In addition, on September 22, the Sackler Centre will host a panel on “the potential of waste…[and] the inventive ways it is being used within design and the built environment”. Details here

Also at the Sackler Centre, September 24 sees a session on Co-creation and collaboration: the potential to empower communities. “What if communities were in charge of improving their neighbourhoods and personal spaces? Architects and designers are directly engaging with their user, through co-creation and collaboration, together they are defining the brief and informing the outcome. Discussing  agency and authorship to empower communities, this talk brings to light the impact and value in this approach to work.” Details here

Research agency BritainThinks is launching NetZero Diaries, a research project which will “will bring together a panel of citizens with different levels of engagement with climate issues and work with them over an initial period of four months to explore their views on net zero policy”. The project is in partnership with Lancaster University’s Environment Centre, OVO Energy, Citizens Advice and WWF UK. ““People are increasingly worried about the climate crisis – we know that much. But we know far less about how climate is affecting people’s daily lives – how they’re thinking and talking about it, and what changes they would like to make – with government’s help,” says Rebecca Willis, professor of energy and climate governance, Lancaster Environment Centre. More here

Think “sustainable investment” is going to help us out of the climate crisis? Then read “The Secret Diary of a ‘Sustainable Investor’. In this lengthy, three-part Medium post, BlackRock’s former head of sustainable investing, Tariq Fancy, describes how he came to view his former occupation as “a dangerous placebo that harms the public interest” and how this work at BlackRock “only made matters worse by leading the world into a dangerous mirage … that is burning valuable time”. A long read, but worth it (thanks to Nick Asbury for the tip). Start here

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