Andres Zambrano Bravo is a Berlin-based freelance journalist who loves to ask why. He loves puzzles and seeks answers to social phenomena and trends, helping researchers, companies, and artists to also find their voice along the way. When not annoying people with questions, you can find him spinning records in one of Berlin’s smoky venues.

Conversations about sustainability are no longer enough. As it becomes all but certain that global heating will increase beyond the 1.5°C of the Paris Agreement, the effects of climate change are already a reality for many communities worldwide. People are not only sensing the urgency of the matter but are realising that existing strategies – on a personal and collective level – are not sufficient.

While companies and businesses were quick to make environmental pledges and commitments, demonstrated by the rising ESG movement in recent years, the momentum has slowed or reversed in the face of economic downturn and potential culture war boycotts. Both people and companies are increasingly confused about the language of sustainability, and vague and misleading vocabulary has led to cases of greenwashing. While climate change is acknowledged as a pressing matter, people no longer understand how they can make a difference – feeling mistrust, scepticism, and fatigue from the oversaturation of messaging from big companies. At the same time, others are angry at the lack of progress, taking more drastic measures to spur governments, businesses, and billionaires into taking action and accountability for their disproportionate environmental impact.

Facing polycrisis in a world that's more interconnected and globalised than ever, people recognise the need for new leaders and ways to mobilise. They're calling for more intersectional approaches to sustainability, looking at long-term social, environmental, economic, and ethical impacts across the supply chain.

At the same time, the cost of living crisis is having a significant impact on people's sustainable behaviours. People often prioritise price over ethics (even if the growth of the eco-luxury sector shows no signs of stopping) but are also increasingly adopting circularity to save on costs – buying more secondhand, seeking out durability, repairing more, and sharing more.

Sustainable Solutions

Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience. 

Personal Worlds

Maurice Bryson is the founder and director of Silicate, a carbon removal company leveraging the potential of geochemistry to speed up the weathering of silicate and hydroxide minerals to durably remove excess CO2 from the air.

Gen Y (born 1982-1996)

Gen Z (born 1997-2010)

United States

Home and Relationships

Property and real estate

Pew Research Center

Robb Report

CNBC

Business Wire

The Real Deal

The Atlantic

Terner Center for Housing and Innovation

The New York Times

Interview with Maurice Bryson conducted by the author

National Association of Home Builders

Business Insider

Blue and Green Tomorrow

As the US housing crisis intensifies, companies are developing alternative housing solutions for those struggling to get on the property ladder. To this end, Vika Living – a Los Angeles-based start-up – is on a mission to create portable, affordable homes for a new generation of homebuyers.