Paul Foulkes-Arellano’s Post

Calling all Green Chemistry Leaders! The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has recently set up a ~$90 million effort that seeks to transform the trajectory of selected areas of basic research in chemistry to align with the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry. They are looking for a program director. To see more details: https://lnkd.in/gdqMcri4 To apply, contact: search@marthamontagbrown.com

It’s NOT 3%, 5% or 40%. It’s 100%! I appreciate Fashion Dive writing this article. As Future-Proof Fashion and others working on the West Africa Regeneration Zone. The topic of how much textile waste is being sent to Africa continues to be a "Flack" topic of debate. Is it 3% as suggested by local market retailers? Is it 5% as misinterpreted by many reading the most recent GIZ study Or is it 40% as stated in the GIZ study and as originally quoted by the OR Foundation. It’s NONE of the above! The real number is 100% 100% of the Used apparel Shipped to the Region from the US, EU, UK etc ends up as waste in the Region. 3%, 5%, 40% maybe waste immediately; choose the one that makes you sleep better at night,. But even those that are resold eventually end their life in West Africa / Africa. In any given week 2,400 Tones, approx 7 Million pieces, of used clothing become waste in the region. There are no take back programs where used goods are being palletized and sold back to the USA or Europe, its a one-way flow. Landfills that were designed to last 15 years have been overwhelmed in 5 years with clothing spilling onto beaches, waterways and the sea. When I read these articles, and as a Blad man myself, I recall an analogy about a group of Bald men arguing over a comb. Africa has become the world's dumping ground, we need to stop debating the exact numbers, just accept it's a big one & its 100%, and let's start fixing the problem! We can’t burry our heads in the Sand any longer, partly because its full of our used clothing! #circularity

Dear Prime Minister,    Designers turn ideas into action. In the face of challenges, like the climate and ecological crisis, we can harness the skills and creativity of designers to find solutions.    The Design Council stands ready to help you unlock the power of design.    We welcome the new Government’s commitment to the creative industries and climate action. Here are four ways to act in partnership with the design economy to drive the green transition.    First, growth by design.    Design contributes 4.9% of UK GVA and is growing at twice the rate of the economy. To kickstart economic growth and unlock an extra £24billion towards UK GVA in the next 5 years, we call on you to:  ◾ Harness design as an asset in the new industrial strategy.  ◾ Back a 2025 Year of Design and World Design Congress to kickstart a decade of national renewal.  ◾ Create pro-innovation green regulation to shape a market for a regenerative design economy.  ◾ Invest in a network of regional Net Zero Design Innovation Clusters and embed design capabilities in the nationwide R&D.    Second, jobs by design.    You have committed to creating 650,000 green jobs. Design can fill skills shortages and power our industries of the future.  ◾ Upskill 1 million designers for the green transition by 2030 with a transformative intervention package.  ◾ Implement the recommendations of our Blueprint for Renewal to address the decline in D&T GCSE by prioritising design in the curriculum review and recruiting 2,000 new teachers. ◾ Partner with industry to deliver high-impact workplace upskilling. Third, homes by design. Your pledge to create 1.5 million homes must be sustainable and fulfil our legal climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. ◾ Give design leaders clear roles in addressing the challenge of creating 1.5million homes within our carbon budget. ◾ Prioritise reuse and retrofit of existing buildings as a housing solution, and place legal limits on embodied carbon in new buildings. ◾ Ensure use of Design Codes, Local Development Orders and strategic planning. ◾ Upgrade quality commitments by appointing a Design Champion on the New Towns Commission. And forth, net zero by design. To restore the UK’s global climate leadership, we need to redesign everything, as 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined at the design stage. ◾ Create a role for design within the UK’s net zero and industrial strategies, prioritising design for decarbonisation and waste prevention within DESNZ and DEFRA. ◾ Tilt the regulatory playing field so green design isn’t undercut by climate laggards. ◾ Strengthen the civil service design profession and appoint Chief Design Officers to government departments to equip the nation for complex, mission-driven work. As we enter this new era, we hope your government will take action to maximise the design industry's contribution to national renewal. Yours sincerely, Minnie Moll, Chief Executive of the Design Council 📸 Sergeant Tom Robinson