In a response to the UK Prime Minister’s recent rowing back on Net Zero, Design Council Chief Design Officer Cat Drew (above) has written an article for Design Week on “how design can help us move faster rather than slower”. “What is needed is less about delaying taxes that will force people to switch to electric cars, renewable heating and plant-based food; and more about investing in the technology necessary to get to Net Zero. Most importantly, we need investment in the design that turns this technology into things that people desire and can use, increasing the speed of adoption to green principles, leading to economies of scale and price reductions,” she says. Read the piece here

Also in Design Week, digital product studio Ustwo has partnered with fintech start-up GreenPortfolio to design a platform that helps users invest in climate-friendly companies with a unique scoring system. GreenPortfolio “enables users to track the climate impact of their financial investments through its proprietary, climate-first scoring system. The system provides personalised portfolio analysis…designed to help subscribers ‘avoid unintentionally investing in fossil fuels’, while enabling them to ‘easily find companies, funds and services in line with their climate values’, according to Ustwo principal client partner Zack Rosenberg,” Design Week reports. Story here

Are you thinking it's about time you got your head around GHG emissions for your design business? Do you know what your carbon footprint is and do you have ideas about how you can reduce it? If you're ready to dive in, then this introductory course is for you. On Tuesday 17 October URGE’s Alexie Sommer will lead the latest Design Your Way to Net Zero course at London’s Design Museum. In this one-day decarbonisation workshop for businesses, you’ll learn about innovative design-led Net Zero solutions and discover methods and practical tools to measure and reduce carbon emissions in the workplace. Details here

The UK Government has published a consultation on new draft regulations regarding the use of flame retardants in furniture, the aim being to reduce toxic chemical flame retardant usage and retain fire safety. However, campaign groups such as Eco Chair argue that the proposed new “approach is flawed and likely in practice to lead to the continued high use of toxic flame retardants”. It may also, they argue, adversely impact the circular economy. Instead, they are pushing for “a shift away from chemical flame-retardant use and towards more innovative, effective and sustainable solutions to fire safety”. Anyone who would like to take part in the consultation is urged to respond - details here

Thanks to What Design Can Do for linking to this recent talk by Doughnut Economics author and economist Kate Raworth at Stockholm Impact Week, where she spoke about the power of design to transform systems:

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