Sustainability is not just a fashionable term in the present world but an important cause for each of us to implement in our daily lifestyle for a better future, especially in a tech futuristic world.

The major sustainability trends to watch are:

• Circular Economy: It is a regenerative model aiming to gradually decouple economic activity from the consumption of finite resources. It seeks to shift away from the traditional linear “take, make, waste” model to one that eliminates waste through superior design of materials, products, and systems. The products, components, and materials are circulated at their highest utility and are valued at all times. The circular economy allows for long-life design, maintenance, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling. Inspiration is drawn from natural systems that have no concept of waste, with everything serving a purpose. For example, IKEA is implementing several circular economy strategies to retain the value of materials and products. The company designs products for easy disassembly, repair, and recycling for longer lifespans. It also pioneered a furniture leasing model called IKEA Lease to incentivize reusable design while giving customers more flexibility. IKEA aims to be fully circular by 2030.
• Renewable Energy: The transition is accelerating as costs plunge and climate concerns mount. An increasing number of corporations are investing in onsite solar or wind projects and signing power purchase agreements for offsite renewable energy. The carbon footprints are reduced by buying clean power and hedging against fossil fuel price volatility. For example, IKEA, Apple, Google, and Amazon source a significant portion of their global electricity needs from wind and solar. Oil supermajor Shell runs one of the world’s largest fleets of renewable power assets.
• Sustainable Materials: New alternative ways of using materials are in demand, with companies exploring renewable, recycled, and innovative materials to reduce dependency on virgin resources such as plastics, metals, and minerals. Cross-laminated timber in constructing buildings provides a renewable alternative to concrete and steel. For example, Adidas uses recycled polyester made from ocean plastic waste to manufacture shoes and clothing. Dell uses fungi-based cushioning for its laptop packaging.
• Regenerative Agriculture: It comprises farming practices to restore soil health, enhance biodiversity, improve watersheds, and capture carbon in soil and plants. It supports enriching soil organic matter and microbial life, rebuilding soils degraded by conventional practices. For example, General Mills, Danone, and Walmart have committed to sourcing commodities such as wheat, dairy, and produce in a regenerative manner.
• Biodiversity: An urgent issue in sustainability with profound impacts on human societies and economic stability. The key ecosystems that underpin crop pollination, clean water, fisheries, and climate stability. Strategies include sustainably sourcing commodities to drive deforestation, practicing regenerative agriculture, targeting zero deforestation in supply chains, and eliminating pesticides that harm pollinators. For example, Unilever and Walmart formed strategic partnerships to protect landscapes. Patagonia supported grassroots activism.
• Equity and Inclusion: Marginalized groups bear the brunt of issues such as pollution, climate change impacts, and lack of access to clean energy. Hence, the impacts on disadvantaged communities and human rights must be considered by sustainability strategies to assess operations excluding or harming vulnerable groups and collaborating cross-sector for driving systems change. For example, investing in renewable energy for underserved communities, ensuring fair farmer wages in supply chains, and providing eco-friendly products for low-income consumers.

Sources:- Ellen Macarthur Foundation, Mckinsey, IEA, weforum, wbcsd