There is no question that 2020 has been a year to forget for a lot of reasons but sustainability is not one of them.
The global pandemic has resulted in a consumer mindset shift that has led to an increased personal responsibility for the environment and a recognition of the need to move to a more sustainable lifestyle.
Search engine Google reported that during 90 days in the first half of 2020, there was an increase of more than 4,000% in the number of people searching for ‘how to live a sustainable lifestyle’. Environmental issues are rapidly becoming mainstream.
This paradigm shift is also translating into buying habits with water-saving becoming a more important factor. Another trend, reported by McKinsey has been the move to online purchasing across all categories with more people expecting to continue post-COVID than before. The same report also shows that more consumers are planning to shift almost completely online, which will significantly impact on the built environment, both how we design houses and how we plan city developments.
Alongside these behaviour shifts, consumers are paying increased attention to sustainability and healthy packaging.
All of these trends point towards a heightened awareness and acceptance of living more sustainable lives with greater individual responsibility for our planet that will make all companies sit up and take notice. Brands involved with the built environment are increasingly sitting up and taking notice.
So while it has been a truly awful year, there is hope that we may emerge as a society better than how we went into it.
All that remains is for us to wish everyone all the best for 2021 and we look forward to working with you on your future approach to sustainability.
As we enter the new year, ask yourself the question: What do you want your legacy to be?