Sustainability
In 2008, members of the Design Industry Advisory Committee developed a four-part Sustainable Design Charter to highlight the critical role of designers in developing and maintaining sustainable products, environments and communication systems. The Charter was also intended to encourage the design sector workforce to assume a leadership role in championing sustainable design strategies.
In endorsing the Charter, the board of DIAC and its member associations pledged to:
Raise awareness of the critical role that designers play in creating a Sustainable Ontario.
Encourage policy-makers to acknowledge the potential of design to reduce negative environmental impacts.
Play a leadership role in furthering sustainability initiatives in local communities.
Champion the early and continuous involvement of designers in public sector sustainability action plans.
Model the principles and best practices of sustainability in professional practice and in design education.
Enable design association members to demonstrate sustainability best practices within the design studio.
Teach the principles and values of sustainability to association members, other design colleagues, and students.
Communicate success stories and promote the value of sustainable design.
Empower Ontario’s design workforce to help all clients reduce negative environmental impacts.
Promote the business case and social value of sustainable design practices on all projects.
Help designers to enable their clients to develop and implement strategies to minimize environmental impacts in products & services, process, communications and the workplace environment.
Encourage the client world to progress from incremental to systemic change in integrating sustainability into all activities and organizational design.
Develop Design for Sustainability research initiatives with DIAC colleagues in partnership with industry, government and education.
Work with DIAC board members to develop and articulate next generation strategies for sustainable design.
Educate and inform public and private sector stakeholders on the benefits of taking a sustainable design approach.
