Sustainability
Carbon Footprint in Furniture
COP30 has once again brought climate commitments to the forefront of global conversation. Yet as attendees return from international summits, the real work begins in the decisions made across business every day. Within the furniture sector, understanding and reducing carbon footprints represents one of the most concrete ways we can contribute to climate action.
The conversation around carbon often becomes abstract, but furniture manufacturing offers something tangible: a product lifecycle we can measure, interrogate, and improve at every stage.
COP30 has once again brought climate commitments to the forefront of global conversation. Yet as attendees return from international summits, the real work begins in the decisions made across business every day. Within the furniture sector, understanding and reducing carbon footprints represents one of the most concrete ways we can contribute to climate action.
The conversation around carbon often becomes abstract, but furniture manufacturing offers something tangible: a product lifecycle we can measure, interrogate, and improve at every stage.
Where the Carbon Hides
When assessing a piece of furniture's lifecycle, the results often surprise people. Manufacturing, packaging, and transportation of the final product typically account for a relatively modest proportion of total emissions. The use phase, for most furniture, produces virtually no carbon at all.
Materials are almost always the biggest factor. This includes not just the materials themselves, but their proportions, sources, production methods, and how far each component travelled to reach the manufacturer. A detailed material breakdown will reveal which 'ingredients' carry the heaviest carbon cost.
Research has shown that furniture, fixtures and equipment fit-outs have a significant impact on the environmental performance of buildings precisely because of their comparatively short lifespan. The decisions made during specification are fundamental, requiring more care and consideration about what we put inside our homes, hotels, restaurants, offices and developments.
Designing for Longevity
Extending the life of furniture pieces directly reduces the need to extract more raw materials. This requires designing products as systems of modular components, with full sets of replacement parts and removable covers. A new chair cover, for instance, can represent one third to one seventh of the carbon cost of manufacturing an entirely new chair.
Modular design also makes end-of-life disassembly far simpler, allowing materials to be separated for reuse or recycling. When furniture is designed with its entire lifecycle in mind, the sustainability benefits compound.
The evidence from our latest sustainability research highlights that one of the greatest impacts we need to address is the volume of new furniture being specified and purchased. Restoring, repairing and reusing existing pieces can play a significant role in reducing carbon footprints for companies setting ambitious carbon targets.
The Power of Single Decisions
Individual material choices can dramatically shift a product's carbon impact. Switching from polyurethane foam to coconut fibre filling, for instance, can reduce carbon intensity by nearly two thirds. These examples demonstrate how replacing a single component with a more regenerative, natural material can lead to significant emissions reductions.
The data emerging from our Supplier Sustainability Audit, which has now assessed over 200 manufacturers since 2018, shows that Swedish furniture brands consistently lead on sustainability metrics. Their success stems largely from localised production, with around 97% of Swedish manufacturers sourcing materials and operating production facilities within a 450-mile radius. This contrasts sharply with manufacturers from other regions, where average distances exceed 1,000 miles. Lower carbon footprints, support for local economies, preservation of craftsmanship traditions, and maintenance of high labour standards all follow from this proximity.
Tools for Measurement
Accurate measurement sits at the heart of reduction. Several tools help manufacturers and specifiers calculate carbon impact. Environmental Product Declarations provide standardised, verified data. Platforms like Maalbar and the 2030 Calculator offer accessible frameworks for product assessment.
Since 2018, our Supplier Sustainability Audit has created a database that helps us understand which suppliers measure their impact and, more importantly, what actions they are taking to reduce it. Suppliers scoring above 70% on our assessment are considered leaders in sustainability performance. This benchmarking approach allows us to identify best practices and share insights across the industry.
The Questions Worth Asking
Progress depends on asking questions throughout the supply chain. How are products made? Where? Out of what materials? By whom? Suppliers benefit from requesting data from manufacturers. Designers gain leverage by understanding the carbon implications of their specifications. Clients can drive change by prioritising suppliers who measure and report their environmental impact.
This approach requires remaining curious and open-minded about solutions. It means challenging assumptions about materials, questioning inherited practices, and being willing to specify alternatives when the data supports it.
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Accountability Beyond Offsetting
Since 2017, we have calculated and compensated the carbon footprint of every product we supply, ensuring net positive climate impact for our clients' projects. In 2024, we offset over 1,000 tonnes of carbon by funding protection of Guatemalan rainforest . This effort supports tens of thousands of local people in gaining access to basic services such as sanitation, healthcare and education whilst addressing the drivers of deforestation.
As a result of this work, we provide all our clients with the carbon footprint of all products that we sell, which supports carbon smart decision making.
However, compensation represents only one part of our approach. The priority remains reducing emissions at source through informed material choices, supplier selection, and design decisions that extend product lifespans.
From Global Summits to Daily Decisions
International climate conferences set frameworks and targets. The furniture industry's contribution happens in the granular decisions made during product development, material selection, and specification processes. Every piece of furniture represents an opportunity to reduce emissions through informed choices.
The work of measuring carbon footprints in furniture is not complete, but the tools and knowledge exist to make substantial progress. The question is whether enough organisations will commit to the detailed, systematic work required to understand and reduce their impact.
Whilst COP30 focuses attention on climate commitments, the conversations that matter most will happen at factory floors, design studios, and specification meetings. That is where carbon reduction moves from commitment to reality.
