G20 should spark sustainable design, says minister

The G20 Summit in London should mark the start of the UK’s leadership in sustainable design, according to Trade Minister Mervyn Davies.

Davies was speaking exclusively to Design Week at last night’s launch of UK Trade & Investment’s creative industries promotional film Love & Money: 50 Years of Creative Britain.

He says, ‘This year’s G20 meeting will provide an opportunity for the world to come together on sustainable design in the UK.’

Davies predicts that ‘in 20 or 30 years time, sustainable design in the UK will become very important as the country moves towards becoming a low-carbon economy’.

The G20 summit starts on 2 April with the aim of finding ways to stabilise and strengthen the world’s financial markets. Its other stated goal is to ‘put the global economy on track for sustainable growth’.

Davies also advised designers to use the economic downturn to showcase their work.

He says, ‘Don’t retreat. This is an opportunity for designers to show their work on a global stage. UK designers are world-class, although that phrase does not go far enough. Britain is “best in breed”.’