Back to all weekly shorts
Weekly Short
22 September, 2023
The transition towards a low-carbon economy requires collective action from all sectors of society, including the design industry. Designers wield enormous power to shape the future of our products and built environment. Yet it is collaboration between consumers and brands, and engineering and design sectors, that will pave the way to decarbonisation.
This is the key message from Cat Drew, chief design officer at the Design Council, who has chosen ‘collaborate’ as the core theme of the Design for Planet Festival 2023, because the climate crisis looms far too large for any designer to confront single-handedly.
The festival – free-to attend online on the 17th and 18th of October or in person if you find yourself in Norwich then – will play host to sixty cross-industry experts who will chair keynote speeches, how-to series and collaborative workshops on all things sustainability and design, including mobility, policy, energy, education, and the built environment. The aim of the festival is to catalyse the shift towards a regenerative future. Rest assured that the festival’s lineup is replete with content that will interest anyone working in this space, thinking about working in this space or simply with an interest in how design supports sustainability.
Day one features panels on energy solutions, materials innovation, collaborative sustainability workshops, and resilience strategies. The how-to series offers insights into decarbonizing local councils, carbon accounting, climate-conscious branding, and carbon literacy for businesses. Day two brings Bas van Abel, Fairphone founder, along for a keynote, along with discussions on future mobility, sustainable food systems, and repairability.
The design industry needs to shift to a more sustainable paradigm, by considering the environmental, social, and economic impacts of their products throughout their lifecycle. And the Design for Planet festival 2023 is the perfect chance for visionaries to come together and create a force for change.
By Bertie Bateman