Insights & Impact from SHIFT25

Last month, during B Corp month, we brought together over 100 industry peers and 70 manufacturer brands for SHIFT25, a one-day event shaped and led by Future Works. Held at Lift in central London — a venue and community hub dedicated to supporting young people into employment, creativity and enterprise — SHIFT25 created space for ideas, insights and collaboration across the furniture and design ecosystem.

With six sessions led by speakers from Future Works, TFP, Studio TIP, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris and the Sustainable Design Collective, we explored how to embed sustainability more deeply and deliver smarter, more resilient solutions.

Themes spanned decarbonisation, material innovation, certification strategies, social value and the future of workplace design. Sessions uncovered the complexities of global supply chains and the growing momentum behind shared ESG standards. We explored the need to rethink material choices with a focus on longevity, recyclability and local infrastructure — and took a closer look at what social value means in practice, the barriers that often hold initiatives back, and practical tips for getting started.

SHIFT25 was designed not only to inform, but to spark dialogue. Attendees welcomed the transparency and insights offered, the focus on progress over perfection and the opportunity to connect across roles and perspectives. One of the biggest takeaways? The industry is ready, and eager, to move faster together.

A huge thanks to our purpose-led event partners: Redemption Roasters (https://redemptionroasters.com/), who support young people in the prison system with barista training and employment opportunities, and Social Pantry (https://socialpantry.co.uk/), a catering company committed to hiring and empowering ex-offenders and those facing barriers to work.

Together, we also raised £935 for The Felix Project (https://thefelixproject.org/), a charity working to tackle food waste and food poverty by rescuing surplus food and redistributing it to those in need across London.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and read on for key takeaways from the sessions.

WELL / LEED / BREEAM

Host: Alex Webb – The Furniture Practice

• Key focus areas included VOC compliance and responsible timber sourcing.
• Circularity remains a challenge due to a lack of standardisation, but is expected to improve.
• Emphasis on strategic use of certified EPDs and increasing responsibly sourced timber requests

Decarbonising Your Supply Chain

Host: Phil Towle – The Furniture Practice & Future Works

• Led by Phil Towle, a member of the UKGBC’s Supply Chain Decarbonisation Task Group.
• Explored complexities of multi-tiered supply chains and the need for better supplier engagement.
• Steel was highlighted as a key challenge due to poor traceability and low carbon literacy.
• Called for international strategies and shared standards to enable industry-wide progress.

Rethinking Materials: Sustainable CMF Workshop

Host: Katie-May Boyd – Studio TIP

• Highlighted the trade-offs between sustainable choices and commercial feasibility.
• Regional variation in recyclability complicates global material strategies.
• Encouraged simplifying finish options and focusing on long-term functionality over trends.