In an era of overproduction, overconsumption, and an increasing global population, we need to rethink how we manage the earth’s natural resources in the production of more ‘stuff’. Many people involved in product design and development are working to find ways to produce things in more sustainable ways, reducing waste and pollution. Designers, engineers, managers, technicians, and company directors, among others, all have potential roles to play in making things more sustainable. But when there are lots of stakeholders involved, how are decisions about how sustainable products are made and accounted for? How is responsibility for how sustainable products are allocated and negotiated?

In this research, the focus is on analysing how people talk about decision-making and responsibility in the context of sustainable design. When we try to articulate our past decisions or explain how responsibility works in our workplaces, we find ways to manage our own accountability. The discursive psychology analysis shows precisely how the designers manage their own accountability and identities in their accounts.

The findings help us think about how we place expectations about sustainability on others in professional contexts, and how we might respond to others’ expectations of us, through the ways we talk.