Archived News Article
FIRA sessions at ‘Routes to greater sustainability’ event
**Rescheduled due to train strike**
The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is to host a Climate Change and Sustainability event on Thursday 16 February (11.00am – 5.00pm) at Furniture Makers’ Hall, London. (The original date of 14 December was cancelled due to train strikes).
The ‘Routes to Greater Sustainability’ event is being supported by the British Furniture Confederation (BFC) and the Furniture Industry Research Association are one of the sponsors..
The free event will be the first pan-furnishing industry conference of its type, welcoming businesses and delegates from all sectors of the domestic and contract markets, with the aim of sharing knowledge and best practice on routes for greater sustainability. As well as networking opportunities, the day will include a series of eight short presentations including an overview by the BFC of potential new legislation; the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP), the UK’s only industry specific scheme; as well as introductions to different corporate approaches to climate change initiatives.
The event is being organised by The Furniture Makers’ Company’s Climate Change and Sustainability committee, which was launched in 2022 to support greater environmental awareness, promoting initiatives within the sector and identify opportunities for open innovation.
Joanna Knight, climate change and sustainability chairman at The Furniture Makers’ Company, said: “This event aims to unite all sectors within the furnishing industry and provide an opportunity to collaborate and knowledge share. Delegates will go away from the event with a better understanding of the various initiatives being undertaken by industry to reduce climate change as well as ideas to action within their own business.”
Tony Attard OBE DL, Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company and chairman of Panaz, industry day sponsor, said: “Our world will change irrevocably unless we address climate change. Sustainability and our effect on climate change must now be an important board meeting agenda item for all businesses. Everything we do affects it, and everything we do can make a difference needs to be planed for and delivered. The conference we are holding at the Furniture Makers will help address some of these issues and give sound practical advice on implementation. We will not learn everything in one day but it’s a start along the sustainability pathway.”
John Hubbard, technical consultant at FIRA International, said: “I am looking forward to hosting two sessions at this inaugural event. From my sustainability research and work across the furniture sector, on behalf of the Furniture Industry Research Association, I am starting to see a real step change taking place, driven by both legislation and a stronger focus on corporate responsibility. Platforms like this initiative from the Furniture Makers Company offer such a valuable opportunity to share best practice and see first-hand how improvements can be made. Through sharing my experience, I am hoping to inspire others and bring about new ways of thinking.”
The agenda includes:
- 11.00am - Welcome – Tony Attard OBE DL, Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company
- 11.10am - Anticipated forthcoming legislation. The role of the British Furniture Confederation. Jonathan Hindle, chairman, BFC Legislation update and Jessica Alexander, executive director of the National Bed Federation / BFC
- 11.30am - Coffee and networking
- 12.00pm - Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP) – an industry specific standard. John Hubbard, FIRA International
- 12.15pm - Measuring your organisation’s carbon footprint. Nichola Pichel-Juan, SATRA Technology
- 12.30pm - Capital Investment in renewables. Rollie Attard, Panaz
- 12.45pm - Lunch and networking
- 1.45pm - Packaging and sustainability, alternative solutions – John Hubbard, technical consultant, FIRA International
- 2.00pm - A circular approach. Adnan Zeb-Khan, Carpet Recycling UK
- 2.15pm - A circular approach. Angela Moran, Silentnight
- 2.30pm - Biomaterials and circularity. Richard Naylor, Hypnos Beds
- 2.45pm - Networking
- 3.15pm - Reuse and extending useful Life. Fiona Edwards, JPA Workspaces
- 3.30pm - Design classics – maximising lifecycle through design. Catherine Black, Sound Leisure
- 3.45pm - Networking
- 5.00pm - Close