What Does Sustainability Really Mean?

Ask most people about Sustainability and you will quickly fall into a conversation about CO2, Net Zero, Climate Change and so on. This is unsurprising given the combination of political focus, economic incentives and
the public awareness that these topics receive. But, in truth, this is a very narrow, almost hyper-focused view, on a much broader topic. For instance, The Glasgow Climate Pact primarily focuses on energy efficiency and transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables, which addresses around 55% of greenhouse gas emissions yet leaves out other significant contributors to environmental degradation, such as waste management, resource extraction and unsustainable production practices.

At UBD, we aim to be more holistic. We view Sustainability across three primary axes: Environment, Community and Business. We will spare you the Business Basics 101 seminar and focus on the other two areas...

When it comes to Environmental sustainability, we include both conservation and circular economy principles in our thinking in addition to the more mainstream ideas. For example, Indonesia, where we are based, is home to some of the most biologically diverse forests in the world. Deforestation is a real and present threat to Orangutans, Tigers, Elephants and a number of other species that inhabit its 17000+ islands. As a result, we always encourage clients to choose reclaimed/recycled materials or those from managed forests. We preferentially work with suppliers who share the same values. This reclaimed/recycled principle also applies to fabrics, where innovation is happening at great speed.

And it is possible to go even further, beyond this conservation approach, by applying circular economy principles. If you are unfamiliar with circular economy thinking, it is the idea that products, and their materials and components, can be designed for their entire lifecycle, ensuring that they can be safely reintroduced into the biosphere or repurposed in an endless cycle. For more on this, please read the book Cradle To Cradle by William McDonough. This is clearly an area of huge opportunity for designers and one which has largely been ignored. At UBD, we are taking on this challenge and in a few months we will have something very exciting to share, based on this very idea.

We are also very aware of our responsibilities to Community sustainability. We predominantly hire from the local community and have a fair wage policy and make decisions as a team. We educate and empower our staff and local communities about the work we do, the way we do it and why and these stakeholders educate us about local practices and techniques in return. This helps us build mutually beneficial relationships with our team, suppliers and local communities, rather than simply extracting resources or providing aid or gifts.

To summarise, we believe Sustainability goes beyond just a focus on renewables and CO2. It is about an overall approach that creates net benefit to the business itself, the communities in which it operates and to the environment as a whole. As an industry, clients included, we have an opportunity to be a leading industry when it comes to Sustainability but only if we truly understand what it means.

Caroline Usher is the founder and creative director of UBD Global, an interior design and architectural firm based in Bali, Indonesia. Known for her unique and award-winning designs, she blends creativity, functionality and Balinese influences in her work. Caroline's visionary leadership has established UBD Global as a leading authority in the industry, with a strong portfolio of successful projects that have garnered international acclaim.

www.ubdglobal.com
info@ubdglobal.com

Content written and supplied by UBD Global