Rachel Choi is a Behavioural Analyst at Canvas8. With a degree in Archaeology and Anthropology from Oxford University, she has an interdisciplinary understanding of behavioural and cultural patterns across societies. She has a love for stories that capture the nature of human experience, through writing, media, or material culture. Outside of work, you can find her attending exhibitions, oscillating between overthinking and head-empty-just-vibes, or rewatching her favourite (usually Studio Ghibli!) films.


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 

In the face of economic crises, climate anxieties, and global wars, people are seeking solace through connection. They want to be sure someone will hold their hand in the face of hardship. As a result, they have higher expectations of care and understanding from interactions with brands, social systems, and people. Many no longer see emotional intelligence as a pleasant add-on – it has become a default expectation.

If Pantone's colour of the year for 2024 is anything to go by – Peach Fuzz, a hue that 'echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection' – it's that community and understanding are increasingly valued as a bedrock of resilience in building a more empathetic and interconnected society. As the loneliness pandemic spreads across the globe, people are prioritising companionship. What's more, they aren't afraid to turn to technology to fill the void, engaging with AI chatbots for emotional gratification as much as practical services. AI promises the rise of artificial empathy and an overhaul of care structures, including elderly care and parenting – and people are ready to embrace it to mitigate the ongoing crisis.

As social media has simultaneously boosted emotional honesty and knocked self-esteem, mental health issues are on the rise and support systems need reinforcement. More than 70% of Americans feel failed by the healthcare system, and in the UK, the NHS waitlist rose to a record 7.75 million in late 2023. With countries like the UK and France raising retirement ages, the demand for long-term care has increased, prompting people to seek alternative solutions – from telemedicine to community-based care programs – to address the pressing care crisis. The very notion of care is in flux. In this context, people are turning to brands and public figures for a helping hand, from BetterHelp and Gymshark offering free care to those that need it to Megan thee Stallion and Olivia Rodrigo using their platforms to democratise access to care for marginalised communities.

Everyday Empathy

United Kingdom

Citizenship

Mental health

Health and Fitness

A report has found that a major scheme helping people in England connect with nature resulted in big improvements in mental health. With a mental health crisis across the UK, there is a need to support people in getting access to care, and connecting to nature is one avenue to help.