Glass Futures becomes the latest organisation to join ResponsibleGlass

Glass Futures has become the latest organisation to join ResponsibleGlass, the international coalition working to accelerate low carbon, transparent, and responsible practices across the global glass value chain.

ResponsibleGlass, the newly formed international multi-stakeholder not for profit standards and certification programme for the responsible  low carbon production of glass, is looking to help drive down carbon emissions, increase supply chain transparency and accelerate the shift toward more responsible practices across the entire glass industry. Glass is essential to modern life – from buildings and solar panels to vehicles and packaging – but its production is energy intensive and contributes 95 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions globally each year. However, unlike steel or timber, the glass sector lacks a unified sustainability framework and certification system. 

The initiative – which has been backed by some of the world’s largest glass and industrial companies, in addition to global mining standards organisations and global car brands such as Jaguar Land Rover is being spearheaded by a team including Francis Sullivan, ResponsibleGlass chair and  former head of sustainability at HSBC and Alan Knight, chief sustainability officer, We Soda and former board member at ResponsibleSteel, which, in less than a decade, has grown into a network of more than 160 members worldwide, including major steelmakers, NGOs and end users.

The programme brings together organisations from across the glass, industrial, automotive and mining sectors, as well as civil society, to develop the first multi-stakeholder independent, global standard and certification system for responsible, low carbon glass production.

Glass Futures is a global centre of excellence for glass research and development, innovation and training, which opened in 2022, bringing together industry, academia and government to accelerate decarbonisation, circularity and technological innovation across the glass and foundation industries.

The organisation runs a global centre of excellence in St Helens, featuring an independent pilot scale furnace capable of producing up to 30 tonnes of glass per day for industrial scale decarbonisation trials. Its specialist capabilities include low carbon furnace innovation, hybrid fuel and electrified systems, sustainable raw materials, circularity solutions and digital transformation in glass manufacturing. 

By joining ResponsibleGlass, Glass Futures will apply its scientific expertise, testing capability and innovation leadership to help co‑develop and validate the standard and support its global adoption.

Following the launch of the initiative last year, a multi‑stakeholder council has now been established, bringing together manufacturers, suppliers and major glass users across sectors ranging from automotive to soda ash production. This council is already progressing the development of the standard, version 1.0 of which will be published later this year and will provide the industry with a clear, practical blueprint for responsible glass production and a pathway toward a globally recognised and trusted standard.

Sarah Harrold, head of strategy and government engagement at Glass Futures, said: ‘Joining ResponsibleGlass as a founding member is an exciting step for us. Glass plays an essential role across so many industries, and yet the world has never had a truly independent, global sustainability standard for this vital material. By co‑creating the standard, we are helping to shape a future where transparency, circularity, and accountability are embedded across the entire glass supply chain.

‘We are especially proud to support an initiative that not only raises the bar for sustainability, but also encourages innovation – unlocking new technologies, processes and partnerships that will shape the industry’s future. We look forward to collaborating with partners worldwide to build a standard that will raise the bar for the sector and support real, measurable impact.’

Francis Sullivan, chair of ResponsibleGlass, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to welcome Glass Futures as our latest member. In our mission to co-create a credible independent standard for the glass industry, having a powerhouse of innovation like Glass Futures at the table is a significant milestone. Its unique ability to bridge the gap between visionary research and development and practical, industrial scale application is exactly what ResponsibleGlass needs – to help ensure that the future of glass is decarbonised, sustainable and fundamentally responsible.’