Liveryman receives global sustainability award

Joanna Knight, liveryman, court assistant and chairman of our Climate Change and Sustainability Committee, received an award at the Global Sustainability Summit held at the House of Lords on Thursday 28 March 2024.

Hosted by Cleancyclers and Sustainability Unscripted, the event included participants from around the world with diverse backgrounds and across many industry sectors.  Attendees included Earthshot prize winner, Charlot Magayi, CEO of Mukuru Clean Stoves in Kenya, whose innovative cook stoves are transforming lives; His Excellency Hon. Peter Odey, Deputy Governor of Cross River State, in Nigeria championing sustainable development initiatives; and Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council.

Joanna participated in one of the panel discussions during the day which focussed on Sustainable Cities and the Circular Economy.

Joanna said: “The furniture industry has a real opportunity to embrace change and make a tangible contribution to the Net Zero target. The focus must also include waste reduction. We cannot continue to dispose of vast quantities of perfectly reusable products and materials. They must be valued, retained in use for as long as possible before even considering recycling, let alone landfill or incineration. There are potentially cost benefits, but these should not be the incentive – the environmental savings, not least carbon, are significant.”

The summit culminated in an awards ceremony, recognising contributions to the sustainability landscape. The award was an acknowledgement for Joanna’s work with the Sustainable Design Collective, a think tank group of architects and designers working within the workplace sector, as well as her roles at the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA), the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP) and The Furniture Makers’ Company.

Founded by Otto Canon, Cleancyclers is committed to leading the way in environmental sustainability. Its mission is to empower communities worldwide to adopt waste reduction, recycling, and afforestation as pillars of a greener future.

Photo shows Joanna Knight receiving her award from Prof Chaminda Pathirage, Associate Head of School for Research and Professor of Brownfield Research and Innovation at School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Wolverhampton.