Ethics statement


Being ethical in business is important to me....

I have been really fortunate to experience the workings of an ethical business and I have tried to incorporate those learnings into my own. 

In order to measure, monitor and improve the impact of my company I have published an ACTION PLAN.  The Giving Back part of the company's HANDPRINT will be updated at fiscal year end (reported on Earth Day 22nd April) and on the company's birthday (18th November).

If fellow designers would like my help in operating their business more responsibly - please get in touch as I can offer a consultancy service to assist you.

Materialise Interiors is now B Corporation certified

Materialise Interiors is now one of the 1,000 + B Corps in the UK.  The company has been B Corporation certified from April 2023, so progress will be published each April in the B Corp Impact Report.

As a B Corp in the interior design industry, Materialise Interiors is counted among businesses that are leading a global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. Read more on B Corp here

B Corp

UN SDG goals

NET ZERO by 2030

NET ZERO by 2030

FOOTPRINT: Clients' projects

FOOTPRINT: Clients' projects

FOOTPRINT: Operation of company

FOOTPRINT: Operation of company
FOOTPRINT: Operation of company

FOOTPRINT: Influence my industry

FOOTPRINT: Influence my industry
FOOTPRINT: Influence my industry

It's important to continuously improve how my business is run - both it's footprint - and how I work for my clients.  Here I set out my objectives and targets for recording, monitoring and improving. You can access the Action Plan below.

Net zero

Company aim:  to be net zero by 2030 by reducing emissions and impact on biodiversity, covering Scope 1 & 2.  Consider and discuss material Scope 3 impacts of your business.

Target is in line with Business Declares  and UN Race To Zero

 

"Net-zero means that a certain activity releases no greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere. It is a little different from carbon neutral, because net-zero involves eliminating the indirect emissions across the whole value chain. For example, a company will have to consider the GHG emissions of all its suppliers and customers. Under net-zero, any residual emissions must also be eliminated through GHG removals of the equivalent amount. "  Defnition taken from Green Queen HK

GHG: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

 

In progress, recorded on  Action Plan

  1. Set target  
  2. Make plan
  3. Measure
  4. Monitor
  5. Assess

 

In progress, recorded on  Action Plan

  1. Set target  
  2. Make plan
  3. Measure
  4. Monitor
  5. Assess

In progress, recorded on Action Plan

  1. Set target  
  2. Make plan
  3. Measure
  4. Monitor
  5. Assess

  1. BIID Code Of Conduct
  2. BIID Sustainability Strategy
  3. BIID Sustainable Specifying Guide
  4. BIID Company carbon footprint guide
  5. BIID Reduce and offset company carbon emissions guide

All achieved by September 2021

Ongoing - articles, interviews, panel discussions, mentoring, writing book for RIBA on Sustainable Interior Design due for release early 2024.

Recorded on  Action Plan

5% of my company's gross sales are donated to charities, community interest companies & non-profits.

Volunteering: Minimum 40 hours a year donated.

Net Zero by 2030

PROGRESS to Feb '23

  • Scope 1: 0
  • Scope 2: Heat, power and light - 1.3 tonnes/yr
  • Scope 3 part 1: Travel and accommodation - 700kg/yr, Waste disposal - 0.25kg/yr, Water usage - 4.4kg, Purchased goods & services - 473.62/yr 
  • Scope 3 part 2: 0
  • Scope 3 part 3: Purchased goods and services (for the business) 473.62kg/yr.  Offsets: cookstoves 4 tonnes + 515 trees = 9 tonnes
  • Clients' projects??* calculation not yet included

SUB TOTAL  carbon emissions tCO2e 2.59 tonnes
Emissions less offsets  =  - 6.41 tonnes
(using https://www.clean-growth.uk/carbon-accounting/)

FOOTPRINT of website: 697.19kg of CO2/yr (https://www.websitecarbon.com/)

FOOTPRINT: Clients' projects

FOOTPRINT Scope 3 - Clients' projects is the largest part of company's footprint and the hardest to influence and improve.

 

CHALLENGES to address for B Corp recertification:

  • Limited amount of suppliers providing carbon footprint calculations per item, per m2
  • Software needed to monitor and calculate.  Action: contact current providers  7/12/22,  7/2/23.
  • Clients are not always engaged in reducing carbon footprint in their designs
  • How to calculate Reused items?

FOOTPRINT: Operation of the company

HANDPRINT: Influence my industry

SHARING KNOWLEDGE: MY INDUSTRY

INTERIOR DESIGN DECLARES

I am a Co-Founder, Founding Signatory and active Steering Group member of INTERIOR DESIGN DECLARES. Set up in March '21,  this is part of the BUILT ENVIRONMENT DECLARES movement  (previously known as Construction Declares).  The  initiative encourages change in our industry with the two main objectives being Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss.

Our objective:       COLABORATE      -     INSPIRE      -     EDUCATE      -      CAMPAIGN

My company and eight others joined together to get the interior design's declaration set and publised.

IN THE UK   Fellow UK designers and suppliers of goods and services to the interior design industry, please join us at:   www.interiordesigndeclares.co.uk

DECLARATIONS IN OTHER COUNTRIES     We are also helping other countries to join our Declaration. To date we have been joined by Finland, who will hopefully be closely followed by Egypt, Australia and the United States.

If fellow designers would like to set up a Declaration for their country, please join us at: www.interiordesigndeclares.com

IDD ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE: 

  • Panel discussion participation for industry events
  • Sharing learning through our quarterly newsletter
  • Partnered the UK scientist fire retardant chemicals campaign
  • Partnership with Decorex to make the event more sustainably focused and run, along with a series of Decorex X IDD panel discussions

 

Our declaration. I will seek to:

1. Raise awareness of the climate and biodiversity emergencies and the urgent need for action amongst our clients and supply chains.

2. Advocate for faster change in our industry towards regenerative design practices and a higher Governmental funding priority to support this.

3. Share knowledge and research to that end on an open source basis.

4. Evaluate all new projects against the aspiration to contribute positively to mitigating climate breakdown, and encourage our clients to adopt this approach.

5. Work towards including life cycle costing, whole life carbon modelling and post-occupancy evaluation as part of our basic scope of work, to reduce both embodied and operational resource use.

6. Work with others in the construction industry to upgrade existing buildings for extended use as a more carbon-efficient alternative to demolition and new build whenever there is a viable choice.

7. Act to address the disproportionate impact of these crises on disadvantaged communities and ensure that all mitigation and adaptation efforts address the needs of all people.

 

8. Ensure diverse and inclusive principles are implemented in hiring and retaining staff so that people of all backgrounds can participate in decision-making about the future of the designed environment

9. Request 3rd party certification or similar demonstration of environmental provenance and impact for each product specified.

10. Adopt more regenerative design principles in our studios, with the aim of designing spaces which go beyond the standard of net-zero carbon, including the specification of ultra low energy appliances.

11. Accelerate the shift to low embodied carbon materials in all our work. Seek to reuse and recycle products and materials at every available opportunity.

12. Minimise wasteful use of resources in interior design, both in quantum and in detail. Collaborate with all members of the industry to further reduce construction and packaging waste.

BRITISH INSTITUTE OF INTERIOR DESIGN

I feel strongly that our industry needs to open up and share knowledge.  We are a highly poluting, resource using, carbon emitting industry.

We are slowly waking up to our responsibilities to people, planet and animals. We need to share knowledge and improve our learnings to carry out out work with a far lower impact.

As well as collaborating with my industry through Interior Design Declares, I am involved with the professional body the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID).

  • Co-writer of the Sustainable Specification Guide, launched September 2021
  • Judge for BIID Student Challenge 2021
  • Part of the new Sustainability Committee to encourage Sustainability throughout the organisation and our members.
  • Professional Practice Committee member
  • Mentoring 2 members
  • Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Panel member
  • Sustainability Showcase 2022 - delivered talk on Next Generation Materials with Masters student mentee Sadie Millermaggs
  • Talking part in panel discussions on behalf of the BIID - ongoing

SHARING KNOWLEDGE: GENERAL PUBLIC

CONNECTING TO OTHER BUSINESSES

BUSINESS DECLARES MEMBER

Business Declares is a not-for-profit organisation formed by senior leaders with a range of experience from the SME, B Corp and FTSE100 sectors. We are official members of the UN Race to Zero team for COP26. We believe that business has a major part to play in tackling the climate, ecological and social emergency.

With Interior Design Declares steering group colleagues at the Business Declares picket for The Big One Apr 23

DESIGN DECLARES MEMBER

Group of designers, design studios, agencies and institutions declare a climate and ecological emergency.

With 8 acts of emergency:

1. SOUND THE ALARM  Acknowledge and raise awareness of the climate and ecological crisis - including its roots in systems of oppression - in our organisations and our practice.

2. START THE JOURNEY  Invest in educating ourselves and our teams on methods of sustainable and regenerative design, and show leadership by making measurable change to our practice. The Design Declares Toolkit is a great place to start.

3. BRING CLIENTS WITH US  Meaningfully consider environmental and social impacts as part of every pitch, proposal and production process. Not every design output will be carbon neutral or fully climate friendly, but every project is an opportunity to make real progress.

4. MEASURE WHAT WE MAKE  Measure the environmental and social impact of our work and design projects, and hold ourselves to account for what we find out.

5. REDEFINE ‘GOOD’  Encourage, recognise and reward sustainable and regenerative design excellence in our industry through media and awards.

6. EDUCATE, ACCELERATE  Build and foster intra- and cross-discipline knowledge networks to share tools, resources and best practice to accelerate progress in our industry.

7. DESIGN FOR JUSTICE  Create with and for the people who are disproportionately affected both by climate change and by the transition to a lower-carbon world.

8. AMPLIFY VOICES FOR CHANGE  Enable systemic change by working alongside policymakers, campaigners, ecologists, scientists, activists and others to strengthen local and national movements for change.

ADDRESSING INEQUITY IN MY INDUSTRY

My industry is not at all diverse and I support the initiatives that are in place to encourage BAME designers and suppliers.
Through United In Design and the British Institute of Interior Design, I offer mentoring help to designers - new and students.

Design For Diversity
United in design

HANDPRINT: GIVING BACK

Homeless and refugee charities,  People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA Business Friend),  WaterAid,  Marine Conservation Society,  Kit Tarka Foundation,  League Agains Cruel Sports, Friends Of The Earth, Surfers Against Sewage, Rowdy Girl Animal Sanctuary, The Green Centre, the RNLI.   See list at foot of page.                             All overseen by ethical acccountants Ozkan . 

Schemes used :   

  • OneTree Planted (now mangroves planting * and previously trees) ,
  • Ecologi (https://ecologi.com/glowinnovationlimited/chloebullock) part of Million Tree Pledge,
  • previously trees were donated through the Green Earth Appeal

*MANGROVE PLANTING  protects coastlines and river banks, restoring biodiversity in ecosystems - and stores 5 to 10 times more carbon than land ecosystems.  Total: 125

One oak planted at Broughton Hall - thanks to Jarvis Smith of My Green Pod! 

Trees planted at Spanglewood, Sussex.

22-23: trees and mangroves planted = 515

Click on this text to start editing, and enter your own text with some basic formatting. To create a link to another page or website within this section, select the text you want to make into a link and click on the Link icon on the formatting toolbar. Click anywhere outside the text box when you're done to continue working on the rest of your page.

BE MY DEDICATED CHARITY: Two days (14 hours) a month are on offer to one charity. So if you are a charity in need of design help, please contact me. 

Terms: Maximum of 6 days spread over 3 months per charity is offered as a donation from Materialise Interiors.  Time is logged on a weekly timesheet and covers all input. Any additional help needed during that time is charged at the regular hourly rate.

To date: School Bus Project, Mile Oak School Science Bus project, Cycling UK, Changing Streams CIC, volunteering on the Professional Practice Commitee of professional body the British Institute of Interior Design , Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival


MONTHLY SUPPORTER:

RNLI

YEARLY SUPPORTER:

Children On The Edge
Gower Bird Hospital
Isle if wight donkey sanctuary