5 Future Trends in Sustainability
Previously just a latest buzzword, sustainability is slowly but surely growing to become a way
of life. Individuals and companies both will come to expect and demand sustainable practices
from the parties they transact with. As sustainability continues to garner more awareness,
interest and grow in importance as a topic of influence, we see several notable trends taking
shape in the years ahead.
1. Sustainable consumption will go mainstream
Fuelled by urgency on climate change, demands from Gen Z, amongst others, many young
adults believe that they have a responsibility to slow, if not stop, avoidable damage to our
environment. This is being reflected in their consumption patterns and companies they
interact with. When deciding whether to purchase a product or service, many assess a
company’s environmental and social efforts before making a decision. Beyond that, they
are also more willing to be more activist, naming and shaming companies deemed
inadequate on the sustainability front.
It is envisaged that food, fashion and lifestyle products will have to significantly up the
ante on adopting more sustainable practices.
Studies have indicated that food production is responsible for almost a quarter of
greenhouse gas emissions and is a major contributor to habitat destruction. Rising
consumer awareness of these issues have fuelled the rise and popularity of meat-free
diets and meat alternatives.
Fashion brands are also prone to being sidelined by consumers if they are found wanting
in their sustainability practices. From clothing to gadgets, demanding lesser and more
sustainable packaging or digitalization (to save paper) will be an increasing norm.
The image source from pexels website
2. ESG investments will grow
ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing is a form of investing in which
environment and social good centres as its guiding principles. Increasingly over the last
decade, ESG investing has gained traction to become one of the more popular sustainability trends as awareness and recognition of its importance has grown.
Investment candidates, returns and performances are no longer myopically assessed
based only on financial considerations.
The image source from pexels website
3. Alternative energy sources will be more widely adopted, driving costs down
Renewable energy sources used to be much more expensive than fossil fuels. But as
acceptance and adoption has grown, prices of many types of renewable energy, such as
wind and solar, have come down significantly in the last decade, paving the way for even
greater adoption. As supply catches up to growing demand, prices can fall further as more
capacity comes onstream.
The image source from pexels website
4. Working from home (or anywhere) will become mainstream
Working from home, or effectively anywhere with an Internet connection, has taken a
newfound meaning during COVID times. Pleasantly and sufficiently effective, it is now
widely practised and will be here to stay even after the last variants of COVID disappear.
Energy saved from shut down offices and drastically reduced commuting provide a huge
boost for the environment through reduced carbon emissions and energy consumption.
The image source from pexels website
5. Inadequate climate action will be costly
In recent times, poor ESG performance and inadequate attention to sustainable business
practices have brought considerable damage to corporations in terms of falling share
prices. Many investment managers these days side line companies deemed inadequate in
addressing ESG concerns. Even established oil majors have been forced to furnish plans
addressing global ESG concerns and can no longer solely go about their traditional fossil
fuel burning core business. The stakes can only get higher.
Sustainable practices will be a mainstay of societies and the business landscape in the coming
decades. The call to action is getting louder by the day and it is imperative that all individuals
and businesses start recognizing its importance and put in place plans to ensure we leave
behind a pristine world for future generations.
For enquires please reach out to us:
Email: info@goglobalgem.com