1kgCO2e with Arper

1kgCO2e was shown in Arpers showrooms in Milan and Stockholm. The exhibition asked the same simple question as before, but now from a furniture perspective: how much of a material do you get for one kilogram of carbon dioxide equivalents? The answer depends on the material, and the differences are significant.

I have long been thinking about the climate impact of furniture and materials, looking for a simple way to make these choices visible and concrete. We have just passed the first year ever with global warming above 1.5°C. With fewer than five years to 2030, when emissions must be halved, the curves are still rising. It is time for bold decisions and concrete action.

In Arper’s version of the exhibition, the perspective widened to the furniture industry. On two podiums, materials used in furniture were displayed: on one, conventional furniture materials from the global market, on the other, new low-carbon materials that Arper works with. The same function. Radically different climate impact.

Arper shares the conviction that our industry must transform. Reducing emissions is a collective effort that spans the entire chain: design, sourcing, production, logistics, use and end of life. Hosting 1kgCO2e is a way of making the invisible visible and measurable.