Planning for the year ahead feels more important than ever – after the past few years of volatility, our clients and partners have found it even more critical to get ahead of the predictable issues and opportunities. That’s why we ran this review of major upcoming trends for 2023 – identifying not just issues but opportunities and guidelines that help build confidence for how we can act in the year ahead.
Of course, we have our work cut out – we are over halfway to the deadline to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals and behind schedule, while the current polycrisis and potential recession will complicate the actions we want to take. The good news is that collaboration with stakeholders is improving, governance is tightening and there is more appetite among consumers, corporates and stakeholders to take action. So what are the shifts and our opportunities to act?
- Firstly, we are now at an inflection point on leadership as stakeholders demand a bolder, regenerative approach that embraces wider responsibility across the supply chain – and steps up to constructively support public debates and regulation.
- That requires both a clearer focus on delivering the most material issues – and a stronger understanding of how these are interrelated with other topics, to find solutions that have bigger combined impacts.
- When it comes to issues, the climate and nature agendas are increasingly melding together, with a growing focus on equality and a just transition.
- This also translates to a growing demand from consumers that companies make sustainable living fair and accessible – first taking steps to support legislation and make options more convenient and desirable, before asking for wholesale behaviour change.
- It is not fair to ask consumers to sift through complex or vague claims – fuelling concerns of greenwashing – but the key will be to keep people engaged in an accessible conversation, rather than pulling all communication.
- This will be an important part of building the social and political will for the regulatory changes needed, where corporates need to step up – and are increasingly expected to.
Our findings and recommendations stimulated a lively and wide-ranging discussion on key questions, such as how much energy there is around challenging business models, how people understand sustainable living and how best to engage them on it, along with what to do about upcoming regulations like the CSRD.
For a richer view on all these topics and the practical advice on how to navigate these tensions based on our experience with clients, you can watch the full recording of our webinar below, and download the presentation slides. A range of GlobeScan voices from across our offices in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America joined for a truly global conversation. This included Alvaro Almeida, Perrine Bouhana, Anneke Greyling, James Morris, Caroline Holme, and Femke de Man. GlobeScan CEO Chris Coulter moderated.
We appreciate everyone who took the time to engage and if this raises any questions for you, we welcome you to get in touch with us at insight@globescan.com
