When climate requirements reach the interior, the supplier perspective on HI and future demands

Part 6 in the article series “Inside the Criteria Council”

Climate requirements are moving further into the building. From the structural frame and building envelope to flooring, surface materials and furniture. At the same time, demands for climate data, traceability and verifiability are increasing in procurements and projects. What does this mean for suppliers, and how can HI help bring structure to a rapidly changing market?

In this article in the series Inside the Criteria Council, we meet Martin Pollak, Sustainability Manager at Ogeborg, a supplier of textile flooring and acoustic ceilings, and Sebastian God, Sales Director at Rekomo, a company specializing in the reuse of office furniture. Two different perspectives. One shared insight: the industry needs clearer rules of the game.

When the market moves faster than the systems

Sustainability requirements are increasingly expressed in concrete terms. Climate impact must be reported. Materials must be traceable. Lifecycle perspectives must be justified.

At the same time, requirements vary between projects and clients.

“We have a market that is changing very rapidly as sustainability becomes a dominant societal trend, particularly in the project market,” says Martin Pollak.
“It is important that criteria develop in line with market expectations so that they always feel relevant.”

He highlights the need for common frameworks.

“Shared criteria are important to establish the rules of the game and a minimum standard for how building materials and interiors are procured in projects. At the same time as we aim for lower climate impact, we also need to demonstrate clear value for the customer. That balance can be difficult.”

When requirements are gathered in a common standard, the conditions improve for making conscious and well-informed choices among property owners, tenants and suppliers alike.

Reuse in a new landscape of requirements

Sebastian God has worked with reuse since 2009. He sees how the climate issue is now entering a new phase where measurement and documentation become central.

“Finally, we are seeing the possibility to measure and evaluate the total environmental impact of an interior project on a deeper level – and to clearly explain to the client why a smarter decision makes sense.”

At the same time, he emphasizes that new requirements need to be developed in the right order.

“There are challenges today in making requirements relevant while still maintaining the growth in reuse of good-quality furniture. If we start in the wrong place, we risk losing a large amount of reusable furniture.”

For him, the issue is not about lowering ambitions but about starting with new production. Only when newly manufactured products meet high standards for traceability, certification and available climate data will it become reasonable to apply similar requirements to reused interiors.

If new furniture is produced without transparency regarding materials and contents, it becomes unreasonable to require complete documentation from products that have already been in use.

“The HI criteria give us a clear prioritization of what is worth focusing on from an environmental and lifecycle perspective.”

From sustainability ambition to business reality

The development towards stronger requirements for climate data for building materials, surface finishes and furniture directly affects suppliers. It is no longer enough to work sustainably. You must be able to show how.

“If your products already meet the HI criteria from the start, for example through environmental certification, that can definitely be an advantage when customers choose interiors or furniture,” says Martin.

Sebastian sees the same development in the market.

“With a clear approach and a credible certification, the understanding increases at a higher level. HI has succeeded in capturing the questions of why, how and what.”

When climate requirements become integrated into procurement and design processes, structure and transparency become part of the business itself. Suppliers who can provide clear and relevant climate data will be better prepared for future demands.

Suppliers as carriers of knowledge

One strength of the Criteria Council is that suppliers are represented. They are close to the market and bring practical knowledge about what is possible today and what needs to be developed.

“My contribution mainly focuses on developing the parts of the criteria related to construction and the management of fixed interior elements,” says Martin. “But the ambition is to contribute broadly.”

Sebastian looks ahead to the next step.

“To refine the requirements based on analysis of even more concrete and practical applications.”

When criteria are tested in real projects, they can evolve in ways that both drive transformation and function in practice.

The climate issue moves into the room

Climate considerations are moving further into the building. From construction to interiors. From overarching goals to concrete product choices.

As climate data for interiors becomes a natural part of procurement and project planning, the supply chain needs to be ready.

HI is not just a label. It is a structure that makes it possible to meet future requirements with clarity, comparability and shared rules of the game.