02 – Design as a green skill

We believe design is a core green skill. From the practical design skills needed to reduce or re-use resources in products and buildings (or indeed grow natural resources), to the transitional ‘heart and mind’ design skills needed to make sustainable products, services and places the easy and attractive choice for everyone. According to a Microsoft and BCG survey in 2022, design-thinking, circular thinking and systems thinking are integral to ensuring employers meet sustainability goals. Linkedin’s latest Green Skills Report (2023) shows that sustainable design skills have risen by over 60% in the last five years, faster than expertise in renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate change.

Design for Planet is our mission. By ‘design for planet skills’ we mean the ability to design for reduced emissions and waste and increased biodiversity, in a commercial and equitable way. As this is not yet a mainstream term, we use ‘design for environmental impact’ as a proxy throughout the survey questions.

Have any of your recent [last 12 months] projects addressed environmental issues?

66% yes

32% No

2% Don’t know