Daniel Ian Comandante is a cultural desk researcher at Canvas8. As part of the Toolkit team, he unpacks consumer behaviour and the latest trends to help companies uncover unique insights. A graduate of De La Salle University, Manila, with a degree in marketing management, he has an extensive background in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and e-commerce marketing industries. He also has comprehensive experience in becoming a conduit between brands and consumers, forecasting retail, consumption, and global shopper trends. Outside of work, you can find him diving deep into his favourite directors’ filmography, reading books on pop culture and film, or taking long walks with his dog.

Diverse representation is an expectation, but as individuals no longer allow themselves to be defined in singular terms, there's mounting pressure on brands to understand and sensitively reflect how the intersections between race, gender, class, and ability impact people's everyday lives.

Collective Equity

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

Malaysia

Clothing, footwear, and accessories

Community and grassroots

Backed by the Securities Commission Malaysia, the Batik Lestari initiative was founded to raise the economic profile of the local 

 industry. Banking on tradition and sustainability, the move seeks to elevate local businesses at a time when people yearn for a greater connection to their heritage.