Environmental design writer Katie Treggiden will head up the judging panel for the new Dezeen Awards sustainability categories.

The author and consultant will oversee the judging of the three categories, which will reward the buildings, interiors and products that strive to reduce their impact on the planet.

"At least 80 per cent of the environmental impact of a building, interior or products determined at the design stage, so the architecture and design industries have a vital role to play in bringing about a more sustainable and circular economy," said Treggiden.

"I want to see full transparency"

"We understand that most studios are on a journey towards becoming fully circular and so we are more than open to entries that show work in progress towards that goal," she said.

"However, I do want to see genuine efforts and full transparency. Greenwashing won't wash here!"

Katie Treggiden, who champions the circular approach in design, has more than 20 years of experience in the creative industries and regularly contributes to publications such as Design Milk, The Guardian and Crafts Magazine.

Last year, she published her fifth book Wasted: When Trash Becomes Treasure, which explores the question: can craft save the world?

Eight sustainability judges

Treggiden will head a panel of eight judges for the categories. Other judges include Nick Shute of Dodds and Shute, founder of Design Career Consulting Simon Hamilton, Seetal Solanki of London design studio Ma-tt-er, co-founder of Amsterdam design agency Overtreders W Hester van Dijk and London-based furniture designer Sebastian Cox. More sustainability judges will be announced soon.

"It is a real privilege to be invited to lead the judging panel for Dezeen's newly expanded sustainability awards this year," Treggiden added, who praised the way Dezeen responded last month when it read a report on its own carbon footprint.

Dezeen founder and editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs pledged to reduce the site's footprint and has commissioned a carbon audit that will take place next month.

"It's important for Dezeen to take the lead"

"As well as its ongoing commitment to reporting and championing sustainable projects in design and architecture, I have been impressed with the open and honest way it has responded to discovering the extent of the website's own carbon footprint and the measures it is already putting in place to reduce it," Treggiden said.

"As such an influential platform, it's important for Dezeen to take the lead on issues such as this."

New sustainability categories

This year, three sustainability categories have been grouped together for the first time to give greater prominence to architecture, interiors and design that strives to lower its impact on people and planet.

The sustainable building category is open to any building designed with sustainability in mind including zero-carbon or negative-carbon projects, zero-energy projects, circular projects, reversible buildings or buildings that employ environmentally friendly construction techniques, materials and energy sources.

The sustainable interior category is for any interior designed with sustainability in mind including projects that use ethically sourced products, make use of recycled materials or use innovative materials.

The sustainable product category can be entered by products designed with sustainability in mind including products that follow circular principles or that reduce their impact on (or benefit) the environment.

The sustainability categories are sponsored by Dodds and Shute.

Enter Dezeen Awards 2021 now

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Besides the sustainability categories, there are five new media categories, 33 project categories as well as six categories for the best studios. See all the categories here.

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