Brands are pushing resilient and versatile products, helping consumers find solutions as they face climate change.

Carol Aquino, head of Consumer Tech at World Global Style Network (WGSN, the world’s leading consumer trend forecaster), said brands and consumers must be prepared for catastrophic, complex and unpredictable weather events as the demand for electrification and renewable energy rises alongside a growing global population.

“Some 42 percent of consumers are considering food purchase changes due to price increases or limited availability because of climate change while 29 percent have already done so. The proportion that has begun to buy products that protect them from a changing climate is 25 percent,” she said in a sample report.

Aquino also said 68 percent of consumers are planning activities using schedulers that optimize based on energy costs, not time efficiency.

Tutti

She also underscored the Hot Climate Partnership which has introduced “Tutti,” the world’s first hot climate-tolerant apple variety. Formerly known as HOT84A1, the breed was developed through cross-breeding and genomic mapping over 20 years.

The Hot Climate Partnership has a pipeline of apple and pear varieties, with 13 completing testing. VentureFruit plans to commercialize five of these varieties in the next seven years.

To activate this, brands can partner with researchers and specialists to develop weather-resilient products.

“Alternatively, look for suppliers engaged in developing cutting-edge produce. Explain the importance of your supply selection to maintain our ecosystems to consumers,” Aquino said.

Moreover, the report also highlighted how the Myplan8 app addresses the environmental impact of consumers’ daily lives, including travel and food habits, to help them offset their carbon footprint.