Swedish furniture brands are the most sustainable in the world, according to a survey by design procurement consultancy Dodds & Shute.
Firms from the Scandinavian country scored highest in an environmental audit conducted for the Dodds & Shute Sustainability Report, with German firms coming second.
Nick Shute and Stefan Dodds, founders of Dodds & Shute
"Swedish companies are best positioned to benefit from people?s shift in attitude on sustainability," said Dodds & Shute co-founder Nick Shute.
"As consumers learn more and begin to expect more from the brands they buy from, most companies have realised there are a lot of things they need to improve on before they can be considered sustainable."
However, the survey accuses the furniture sector in general of "turning a blind eye" to environmental concerns. Many brands fail to provide adequate information to designers seeking to make their projects more sustainable, it said. Sector "turning a blind eye" to sustainability
"We see the traditional shortcomings of our sector and the role it has played in turning a blind eye to these issues," says the foreword to the report.
"Research has shown that the furniture, fixtures and equipment [FF&E] fit out has a significant impact on the environmental performance of a building because of its comparatively short lifespan," it continues.
"It is essential that more care and consideration is taken to what is...