Ally Elphick is a Bristol-based Copywriter and Brand Strategy Consultant, who supports brands seeking to forge a more sustainable future for people and planet, together. When she's not reporting on emerging trends or exploring how her clients can better communicate their purpose, she's tending to her veg plot or making a dash to the coast for weekends spent surfing from the comfort of her campervan.

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

Imke Potgieter is the founder and head chef at Ubuntu Food, an open-fire cooking collective. They host immersive, ceremonial food experiences focused on seasonal, local produce.

Travel and Leisure

Eating and Drinking

Love The Garden

Euromonitor

The Guardian

inews

Roots

The Standard

Gardens Illustrated

Impakter

Riverford

Interview with Imke Potgieter conducted by author

Statista

Hearst

University of Sheffield

Driven by a desire for farm-to-table foods and hands-on activities, the demand for allotments is impacting the way people eat and drink. Although urban environments don’t leave much space for growing food, Roots Allotments is addressing the challenge of land access and allotment growing head-on.