The event explored the impact ESG is having on the industry, the BFA’s short term objectives in this area and included a presentation on a new support tool for SME’s developed by Planet Mark.

Chaired by BFA Sustainability Consultant Richard Naylor, the ‘Why ESG Matters Now’ event was hosted by Blum and brought members together for an insightful and practical discussion.

Richard said: “ESG is increasingly shaping business opportunities, customer expectations and compliance requirements across the industry.

“The forum discussions explored the commercial, regulatory and competitive reasons ESG can no longer be treated as a side issue and reinforced the message that ESG is now a commercial reality.

“Through a series of case studies, it becomes clear that ESG is increasingly shaping the business landscape across the furniture sector and with the right guidance and tools, businesses can move forward with greater confidence.”

The forum also considered the original ESG Steering Group’s key ‘pains,’ mapping member concerns across five areas:

• Knowledge and skills
• Leadership and culture
• Resources and capacity
• Market and supply chain
• Future and regulation

Participants were encouraged to think about questions such as what businesses don’t yet understand about ESG, what is holding back buy-in, where resources are most stretched, what pressures feel unfair or unrealistic and which ESG risks are most concerning for the future.

BFA set out its ESG action agenda for the next 12–36 months as well as introducing the group to its new dedicated ESG web pages, which include an evaluation tool designed to help businesses assess their current progress and identify the next steps in their ESG journey.

The session concluded with a presentation from James Shorey of Planet Mark, who introduced Safe Planet, a new support tool for SMEs designed to help them calculate and share Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions data more easily.

Richard added: “The forum set out a roadmap that is intended to give members clear, practical support as they navigate a fast-changing landscape.

“BFA’s ESG agenda in the short term is structured around reducing confusion, building capability and moving from compliance towards leadership.

“The new web pages will provide a new level of support for members, and we will continue to highlight mechanisms that can help businesses achieve ESG objectives, such as Planet Mark’s Safe Planet tool.”