As extreme weather events and record-breaking heat become the norm, climate change has moved beyond future fears and become a present-day reality. On average, 57% of people worldwide report that climate change has already severely impacted where they live. Permanently changed, erratic weather patterns are colliding with people’s livelihoods, identities, and mental health (not to mention their brains).

The immediacy and scope of this new ‘climate abnormal’ is creating friction at all levels of society. Despite the fact that four in five people across the globe believe humanity is ‘heading towards environmental disaster unless we change our habits quickly’, the way forward feels ridden with tensions. Individuals feel fatigued by brands’ and institutions’ climate inaction – they want change (but less so if it forcibly alters their lifestyle). More than three-quarters of Europeans believe countries would be more effective at tackling climate change by working together, but few can agree on what that work should look like.

A desperate need for change is rubbing up against a society set in its ways. As a result, people are warming up to the idea that the path forward into the climate-adaptive future will require creative, experimental modes of thought more entrenched in imagination than in our current status quo. Luckily, the AI boom and experimental cultural moment that it’s brought about are creating space for new, accessible ways of experimenting, designing, and imagining the world.

This new synergy is ushering in the era of Eco Imagination.

Emboldened by the possibilities of decentralised creativity and incentivised by the rapid decay of the environment, people are re-imagining their relationships with nature. They’re imbuing the nature narrative with the new, experimental, and unconventional, whether by warding off climate anxieties at climate cafes and ecotherapy parks or instigating equitable climate futures through ecofeminism and intersectional eco-thinking. Where recycling no longer cuts it, people are exploring ‘technobiophilia’, eating insects, and using bacteria to build computers. Individuals are looking to create transformative connections with the natural world. With the help of new tools and resources, brands can deliver the kind of regenerative environmental strategies necessary for humanity to survive (and potentially thrive) in a new climate reality.

Eco Imagination 

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

Dr. Warren Mabee is the director of the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University. He was formerly the Canada research chair in renewable energy development and implementation, with a speciality in bioenergy technology and policy. He’s currently the Stauffer-Dunning Chair in Public Policy. As the director of the Queen's Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy, he has an interest in the intersection between energy issues and other aspects of environmental management. Dr. Mabee's research is networked through the International Energy Agency to initiatives around the world.

United States

Technology

Apps and software

Citizenship

Fortune Business Insights

Booking.com

Interview with Dr. Warren Mabee conducted by the author

Outdoor Industry Report

European Investment Bank

United States Census

With screen-based and sedentary lifestyles seeing many people lose touch with the natural world, the iNaturalist app hopes to plug the connection gap. It utilizes a gamified, social network-style format to encourage natural discovery and inspire a fresh generation of citizen scientists.