Neo-ecology - the most important megatrend of our time

Neo-ecology is the megatrend that will shape the 2020st century like no other: environmental awareness is transformed from an individual lifestyle to social movement. Sustainability from the consumption trend to the economic factor

Neo-Ecology, Megatrend, Zukunftsinstitut

We are heading for an ecological catastrophe. The board offices, conference rooms and congresses of this world are slowly but surely reaching the collective realization that an ecological catastrophe is inevitably also an economic (and thus a social) catastrophe. Sustainability, environmental protection and climate change are no longer niche topics. One thing is clear: it is about nothing less than our existence.

Climate change is becoming real

The future of the planet is synonymous with the future of humanity: its preservation is thus the greatest challenge for global society. Two hot summers have transformed climate change from a theoretical discourse into a real threat, the consequences of which are already palpable even in Germany.

In the summer of 2018, the hottest summer since weather records began, 490 people died in Berlin alone due to the heat. In Central Europe, extreme hot days have not only gotten hotter, but also hotter - since 1950 by more than five degrees. Meanwhile, tropical diseases are also spreading in Europe and increased allergies and antibiotic resistance make the climate changes personally tangible.

At the same time, there are increasing reports of new, sad records: In Brazil, areas the size of three soccer fields per minute are cleared, the global population of large freshwater animals has declined by 1970 percent since 88 and the number of animals in German forests has halved since then.

In the meantime, our garbage problem is assuming absurd proportions: The number of disposable bottles that Coca-Cola alone produces annually (88 billion) would be enough to go to the moon and back again 31 times. It is estimated that 86 million tons of plastic have landed in the ocean so far - the vast majority of it is in the open sea or on the ocean floor.

And again and again forests are on fire for months: Hundreds of thousands of square kilometers are burning in Europe, in the USA, in Canada and even in the Arctic and Siberia. The Amazon, the green lung of the planet, is also being further decimated by devastating forest fires. Most current research results overtake previous forecasts in terms of their extent and thus show the urgency of countermeasures.

According to new results of the climate council, sea levels up to 2100 could rise by 100 meters, 280 million climate refugees are expected. Climate protection is no longer just a topic for environmental activists. The future of all societies and economies of the planet depends on it.

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From the non-center of society

The Fridays for Future movement has not only catapulted this knowledge into the headlines of the news and the agendas of political discourse in German-speaking countries. Fridays for Future Global Climate Strike in September 2019 attracted 7,6 millions of people in 185 countries - almost all countries in the world. Today's 16 founder Greta Thunberg is a superstar, even compared to Jesus.

And on the political scene, too, the issue of climate change is taking on quasireligious traits. The Greens won 2018 as many new members as ever and also celebrated 2019 record results in the European elections. In fact, since the European elections, climate change has been turning government policy and party politics around - and this is receiving general approval, even among the general public.

The environment becomes the mainstream issue, the new criterion for good and bad, right and wrong. The lowest common denominator of a whole generation. Everyone is affected, everyone has to position themselves.

Neo-ecology is the megatrend that will shape the 2020st century like no other

Environmental awareness changes from individual lifestyle to social movement. Sustainability from the consumption trend to the economic factor. And the climate crisis as the basis of a new global identity. The megatrend is not just reorienting the values ​​of global society, everyday culture and politics. It is disrupting business models and leaving whole industries cold. It forces people to rethink their business and requires decisive action. Because he is already shaping the markets of the future.

  • New values ​​- Generation global
    Ecological values ​​create a new global identity. Around the globe, a new mindset is emerging. The result is a new, globally shared set of values ​​that will become the central driver of economic change.
  • New markets - Post-customization
    The new We culture is heralding a departure from consumerism. People are increasingly becoming globally responsible. Common consumption patterns are being questioned more and more critically - because consumption is the opposite of belonging. And community is more important to people than ever before. This post-individualization transforms society from the ground up - and alters the logics of brands, marketing and markets.
  • New environments - Next nature
    The health of man becomes the measure of his ecological and economic action. Nature becomes a synonym for a healthy, good human life and the environment the central factor for its physical, mental and social well-being. The relationship between man, nature and technology is renegotiated.
  • New business - Postal growth
    The solution to the climate crisis is a task for society as a whole. It can only succeed if all sectors of society are realigned. Politicians are faced with the task of promoting this change through appropriate regulations and incentives. The sooner companies explore the potential of this transformation, the more they will benefit from it in the future. The prosperity of tomorrow is based on new values ​​- and a new concept of growth.

Source: Zukunftsinstitut from the trend study: Neo-Ecology- The most important megatrend of our time

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