IBA editorial team Sustainability has long been more than just a buzzword — it has become a key success factor for companies. But where does genuine commitment end and greenwashing, i.e. deliberately misleading people with false sustainability promises, begin? This question was the focus of the panel “Paths to Sustainability vs. Greenwashing: Dos and Don’ts” at the Work Culture Festival.
Sustainability as a corporate task
Kai-Uwe Schlegel opened the discussion with an overview of TÜV Rheinland LGA’s approach to sustainability. “Our aim is to make life safer and more sustainable,” he explained. TÜV Rheinland LGA is committed to transparency and independent auditing — a principle that is reflected in its membership in the UN Global Compact and its assessment by platforms such as Ecovadis. “We’re proud to have achieved gold status with Ecovadis since 2019,” he emphasized. TÜV Rheinland LGA sees itself not only as a service provider, but also as a partner that supports companies in achieving their sustainability goals with certifications and audits. TÜV Rheinland LGA offers a wide range of services, from the evaluation of materials to complex standards such as the European Level certificate for office furniture. “The challenge is to boost credibility and provide guidance at a time when greenwashing often clouds the perception of sustainability,” says Schlegel.
Greenwashing: a threat to trust and progress
Schlegel emphasized that greenwashing not only undermines consumer confidence but also hinders progress. “When companies make sustainability promises that cannot be kept, it harms everyone who is really committed to change,” he said. Examples of greenwashing can be found in all sectors — from the oil and gas industry highlighting its investments in renewable energy while continuing to extract fossil fuels to companies who create their own eco-labels to make their products appear more sustainable than they are.
Sustainability in the furniture industry
Johannes Brennig from König + Neurath brought the perspective of a furniture manufacturer to the discussion. His company has been developing high-quality office furniture for almost a century and has firmly anchored sustainability in its corporate strategy. “Sustainability is not an optional add-on for us, but an integral part of every product,” he emphasized. König + Neurath is guided by established standards such as the Blue Angel and the European Level certificate. However, Brennig noted that there still isn’t a uniform basis for calculating important metrics such as the carbon footprint. “Without comparable data, real progress is difficult to measure and competition remains opaque,” he explained. Another focus is the circular economy. Furniture should be modular, repairable and durable. “We rely on design principles that enable easy disassembly and promote the use of standardized tools,” says Brennig.
Transparency and customer-orientation
Elena Samaras from TAKKT AG contributed the trade perspective to the discussion. TAKKT, a leading distributor of business equipment with brands such as Kaiserkraft in Europe and nbf in the USA, has developed its own rating system that evaluates products according to objective criteria such as recyclability and circularity. “Our aim is to enable our customers to make conscious and informed purchasing decisions without patronizing them,” explained Samaras. She emphasized that sustainability has long ceased to be a niche topic and is increasingly being demanded by customers. Today, large companies demand binding proof and certificates. “Anyone who doesn’t meet these requirements is quickly out of the running,” says Samaras. However, she also warned that regulations and certifications cannot always keep up with the speed that is required in practice. “We must ensure that the standards remain practicable and do not become a bureaucratic exercise,” she emphasised.
Standardisation and collaboration
A recurring theme of the panel was the need for uniform standards and greater cooperation in the sector. Brennig emphasised that initiatives such as the European Office Furniture Federation (FEMB) are important steps towards standardising sustainability criteria in the furniture industry. Although the development of standards is time-consuming, it is essential in order to create trust and comparability. “We need clear definitions of what repairability or recyclability mean. This is the only way we can measure progress and develop credible certificates,” he said. European standardisation has already published an initial standard for the disassembly and reassembly of furniture. This forms the basis for all approaches to the durability, repairability and reusability of furniture. That’s because a product can no longer be used if a faulty or outmoded part cannot be replaced.
The customer’s role
In addition to the problems on the company side, the role of customers was also discussed. Samaras stated that consumers are increasingly looking for sustainable products and are actively using filter options to find sustainable alternatives. “This gives manufacturers and distributors the opportunity to make their efforts visible and differentiate themselves through credible sustainability measures,” she explained. At the same time, Brennig emphasised that the sector must continue to work on providing customers with clear and comparable information. “It’s not enough to offer sustainable products — we also have to tell their story and make it visible,” he added.
The panel participants agreed that sustainability is a joint project in which companies, consumers and regulatory authorities are equally involved. Kai-Uwe Schlegel put it in a nutshell: “We can only achieve the climate targets if all players work together. Sustainability is not an option, but a necessity. With the right mix of innovation, collaboration and transparency, the path to a more sustainable future can succeed — and greenwashing can finally be a thing of the past.”
Johannes Andreas Brennig is Sustainability Manager at König + Neurath AG. His area of responsibility includes developing the sustainability strategy, overseeing sustainability initiatives, sustainability reporting and sustainability-related product certifications. He has also been a member of the Cradle to Cradle NGO since 2017. More information is available at: koenig-neurath.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-andreas-brennig-5b109318b/.
Elena Samaras is Vice President Legal & Chief Compliance Officer at TAKKT AG, a leading distributor of business equipment with brands such as Kaiserkraft in Europe and nbf in the USA. She is an advocate of sustainability and product compliance and tries to reconcile innovative product ideas for the working world of tomorrow with the wave of regulatory requirements from the EU and other legislators. More information is available at: takkt.de and https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-samaras-495015163.
Kai-Uwe Schlegel is Global Head of the Technical Competence Centre Furniture at TÜV Rheinland LGA. With almost 30 years of experience in the testing and certification of furniture and the development of new services, the wood and plastics technician has built up extensive expertise in the sector. As a sustainability expert, he is involved in various committees, including the standardisation of “circularity of furniture” (DIN and CEN), and was significantly involved in the development of the European Level programme, the sustainability label of the European office furniture association FEMB, on behalf of TÜV Rheinland LGA. More information is available at: tuv.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/kai-uwe-schlegel-globaler-leiter-technisches-kompeten-center-möbel/
Cover picture: © IBA
