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From Delhi to Sacramento, temperatures are soaring, with 2024 poised to shatter last year's records for the hottest summer ever, leaving cities sweating and scrambling for cooling solutions… 🥵

A study published in Nature Communications in May 2024 warns that by 2050, the cumulative heat exposure for older people (aged 69+) will triple worldwide, affecting 246 million people. The effect will be particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa that are more prone to climate change-induced heatwaves. Coinciding trends of aging populations and rapidly rising temperatures are set to create hotspots of vulnerability.

As the study explains, "Increases in the intensity, duration and frequency of heat spells pose direct threats to physical health and mortality risk, with especially severe consequences for older adults, given their heightened susceptibility to hyperthermia and common health conditions worsened by heat exposure, such as cardiovascular disease."

In the face of these new climate realities, what's your strategy for supporting vulnerable aging populations in your region?

Instead of a tome about Swedish stugas or the origin of meatballs, IKEA Poland has published a Lexicon of Good Language. It's a guide promoting inclusive language and challenging harmful and exclusionary rhetoric in everyday communication. The lexicon was created with seven NGOs as part of IKEA's ongoing #ChangingTheNarrative campaign. Each section focuses on language related to different groups vulnerable to discrimination: people with disabilities, the LGBT+ community, national and ethnic minorities, refugees, younger and older people.

The Lexicon of Good Language was designed to be accessible and easy to understand. Each chapter lists which words are discouraged and why, along with suggested alternatives. By sharing the document as a free download, IKEA aims to inspire people to check whether they're being unintentionally hurtful, and to rethink which terms and phrases they incorporate into casual conversations and workplace interactions.

A newly-published survey by Slack's Workforce Lab reveals that over two-thirds of office workers in the US, Australia, France, Germany, Japan and the UK have yet to use AI tools on the job. Of those who do use AI, 81% report increased productivity (and just 7% consider AI outputs completely trustworthy).

Other insights gleaned from the survey:

• Execs race to embrace "Nearly all executives (96%) now feel an urgency to incorporate AI into business operations. The share of leaders aiming to do this 'in the next 18 months' has grown 7x since September 2023, rising from 5% to 35% of all executives"
• White workers lagging "AI use is accelerating at a faster clip among workers of color, with 43% of Hispanic/Latinx desk workers, 42% of Black desk workers and 36% of Asian American desk workers having tried AI tools at work, compared with 29% of white desk workers"
• Gen Z gender gap "While young people are most likely to have experimented with AI tools, Gen Z men are 25% more likely to have tried AI tools compared with Gen Z women"
  

Chemicals in most sunscreens can kill or bleach coral, even at extremely low concentrations. And an estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen enter waterways every year. The problem is especially acute in areas with heavy tourism and recreation. While reef-safe sunscreens are slowly gaining market share, a new formulation called Reef Relief goes a step further with ingredients that actively support coral health.

Two years in the making, Reef Relief was developed by global ad agency McCann in partnership with sunscreen brand Stream2Sea. In addition to being reef-safe and protecting humans from UV rays, the product contains 'a unique blend of marine nutrients' that help coral thrive. Six months of testing by Dr Michael Sweet at the University of Derby found that the sunscreen can boost coral growth by up to 8% in some species.

Reef Relief will be available for purchase soon, with a waitlist now open.

The UK's pioneering walk-in mental health shop, Self Space, is offering a new series of events called Walk Club, designed to help people break out of their ruts. Tapping into the insight that over half of Brits feel stuck and in need of change, these therapist-guided group walks encourage taking a step towards renewed momentum and social connection.

Walk Club participants are paired up and provided with conversation prompts to facilitate meaningful exchanges as they stroll through various parts of London. Beyond stretching legs, the guided walks also flex emotional and social muscles, practicing vulnerability, active listening and empathy. For people outside London, Self Space is offering a free download of 1,000 conversation prompts "to facilitate walkie talkies from wherever you are. With the people you love." Categories range from 'For parents with empty nests' to 'For busy people who never rest.'

By blending light physical activity with emotional exploration, the Walk Club format lowers the barrier to entry for those daunted by more formal mental health settings while providing a dose of analog community and IRL connection. As Self Space says, "Come as strangers, leave as friends." 

A free AI-powered wallet called Kudos automatically calculates credit card rewards and benefits to help shoppers maximize their cards' potential. It operates as a browser extension and iOS app, optimizing online shopping by determining each item's potential credit card rewards. By paying with the best card for a specific purchase, consumers reap more points and other benefits.

Users can set up a Kudos wallet by selecting their debit and credit cards from an extensive database. The accompanying browser extension displays a yellow badge when they're shopping; clicking it reveals their wallet and showcases the optimal card to employ at checkout. 

Kudos supports over 2 million merchants and is compatible with more than 3,000 credit and debit cards. While currently exclusive to the US, Kudos plans to expand globally. Launched in 2022, the startup has since grown to 200,000 registered users, as reported by TechCrunch, and just raised USD 10 million in series A funding to build out its capabilities as an AI-driven personal finance assistant.

The 2024 Paris Olympics aren't just about sports but aim to showcase sustainable food, too. With over 13 million meals to be served during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, organizers see a monumental opportunity to spotlight cuisine that's not just delectable but also comes with a lower environmental impact.

France intends to leverage its culinary reputation to inspire more eco-friendly eating habits, both at major sporting events and at home. A prime example is the Athletes' Village dining hall, which will offer 500 recipes and make over a third of dishes entirely plant-based when it opens as the 'world's largest restaurant.' Spectators will see more meatless options, too. At the La Concorde venue, 100% of food served to visitors will be vegetarian. 

Additionally, 80% of the ingredients used will come from France, and 30% from organic farms or those in the process of converting. In canteens, both the nutritional values and environmental impact of each course will be displayed. By dramatically increasing meat-free options, Paris 2024 aims to halve the carbon footprint of catering at the Olympics.

Despite brands' focus on improving the CX, 71% of shoppers see no improvement or an increase in the time and effort required to make a decision. And with information overload reaching a new level (thanks to tailored ads and personalized products), 75% say they feel bombarded by advertising... 🤯

One solution? Gen AI-powered assistants that cut through the noise. These AI GENIES will work on behalf of overwhelmed consumers, ticking mundane tasks off their to-do lists. Since most people will prefer to pick and choose what they outsource, brands must learn to discern when autonomy is preferred. In fact, 55% of consumers say they are open to AI GENIES making purchases for them, especially for booking flights (70%), hotels (65%) and buying consumer tech (59%).

From 6–9 June 2024, the tenth European elections will take place in the EU's 27 member states. The previous elections, in 2019, saw electoral turnout increase for the first time since voting began. That was mainly down to a surge in young voters turning up. Still, only 42% of voters 24 and under voted. In the Netherlands, the number was even lower, at 35%.  

Since declining voter participation is a threat to democracy, Ben & Jerry's is stepping in with a sweet reward to entice more young people to vote this year. After casting their ballot on June 6th, Dutch citizens can trade in their red voting pencils for free ice cream. Ben & Jerry's will be swapping pencils for pints at six locations across the country.

Beforehand, people can confirm their intention to vote and Ben & Jerry's will send them a reminder the day before the election. For those unable to secure a red pencil, showing the confirmation email will still earn them free ice cream.

LLMs have a dirty secret. They’re thirsty: a single ChatGPT conversation uses about half a liter of water 💧 Microsoft’s 2024 Environmental Sustainability Report reveals a similar picture. The company’s C02 emissions are up by 29.1% since 2020, mainly due to the construction and provisioning of more data centers to meet customer demand for cloud services. Which makes Microsoft's goal of becoming carbon-negative by 2030 an ever-greater challenge.

More likely than not, your own company is busy adopting AI technologies to drive innovation and enhance customer experiences. And that means grappling with associated environmental implications, too.

🔴 Risk assessment: With leaders fearing they'll be outpaced by competitors in the race to deploy, gen AI is pushing sustainability down corporate priority lists. How will you stay vigilant? For starters, track the energy consumption of your brand's AI integrations and keep it in line with your ESG goals.

🟢 Opportunity: As concern about greenwashing reaches new heights, AI's ability to analyze large datasets promises to open up new routes to accountability, particularly within sustainability reporting. Use that capacity to your advantage, or face data-driven condemnation.

Of online daters, 64% are now interested in leveraging AI as a dating coach, according to cyber safety brand Norton. No longer confined to merely finding a match, AI is assisting daters in making conversation, enhancing their profiles and even simulating trial dates to break the ice. All of which could reduce the average six hours per week users spend on dating apps.

The latest AI-powered dating tools to hit the market, from Rizz and Volar to relationship coach Couply, demonstrate the field's potential. However, AI's inroads into dating are coinciding with a concerning rise in scams. While Norton obviously has skin in the game here, its data reveals a 72% increase since 2023, with nearly one in three American dating app users targeted, and almost half of those falling victim.

Given the ease of crafting a flirty text with AI, ensuring dater safety is key. Can you teach users to spot red flags, or harness AI to intervene when catfishing is about to strike?

We first wrote about Stolp in 2021, calling it a signal-blocking butter dish for better phone habits. The concept is still the same: a small Faraday cage that blocks WiFi, 3-5G and Bluetooth signals for up to five phones placed inside. What's new is that the Belgian startup has gained a prominent new partner in Marie Kondo. They've collaborated on a limited edition Stolp phone box in two muted, matte colors: KonMari Brown and KonMari Sand. Each box comes with a guide to digital decluttering based on Kondo's famous joy-sparking philosophy.

Just as Kondo shaped contemporary views on home organization, inspiring many to adopt a more intentional approach to their living spaces, she and Stolp encourage people to take a thoughtful approach to their digital lives and the devices that distract them from focusing on what truly matters. By integrating Stolp into their daily routines, users can adopt a physical ritual for unplugging, making space for moments of calm and deeper connections with those around them.

Building on the classic pairing of a long soak and a good read, LUSH is entering into a committed relationship with The Poetry Pharmacy, an independent bookshop specializing in 'poetry on prescription.' Following a successful pop-up with the cosmetics brand, The Poetry Pharmacy will now have a permanent 62-square-foot home in LUSH's flagship store on Oxford Street in London.

Customers can browse curated poetry books organized by emotion, purchase offerings like 'Poemcetamol' pills, or simply relax with coffee and cake at the Dispensary Coffee Shop. The partnership developed after LUSH co-founder and CEO Mark Constantine met The Poetry Pharmacy founder Deborah Alma and connected over a mutual love of poetry. That resulted in a temporary retail collab and LUSH bath bombs with names like Wild Remedy, Broken Heart, Slow Down and The Humbug — each featuring a hidden paper insert with a relevant poem.

Bookseller Alma's mission is to "bypass the gatekeepers and bring poetry to more people in playful and engaging ways." With its novel bath products, whimsical branding and immersive retail experiences, LUSH has always delivered more than just soap and skincare. Its collaboration with The Poetry Pharmacy blends seamlessly with that vision, creating a space for customers to nourish their minds as well as their bodies.

The first refugee athlete to join Nike's elite roster, Cindy Ngamba is a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for the 2024 Paris Games. She fled her native Cameroon at age 11 and now resides in the UK, where she's a three-time national boxing champion and youth coach. In addition to signing Ngamba and sponsoring the official kit for the Refugee Olympic Team, Nike is collaborating with the Olympic Refuge Foundation's Terrains d'Avenir program in Paris to create more inclusive play environments and provide trauma-informed coaching.

Emphasizing Nike's conviction in the power of sport to unlock human potential, an accompanying ad showcases Ngamba alongside judoka Mohammad Rashnonezhad, originally from Iran; cyclist Eyeru Gebru, originally from Ethiopia; and 800 m runner Perina Lokure, originally from South Sudan. In the face of the all-too-familiar query, "But where are you really from?" Ngamba and her fellow athletes respond with unwavering determination. "I'm from losing my flag, my country and my home. But never giving up. That's where we are really from. Now, watch where we are going."

Sustainable Australian fashion label Madre Natura recently broke from tradition by choosing not to debut a new collection at this year's Australian Fashion Week. Instead, the brand took a stance against wasteful practices by presenting The Last Season Collection — its previous line, which it is committed to selling out entirely before launching new designs. With Australians sending 500 million kilograms of clothing to landfills annually, Madre Natura declined to contribute further.

The brand live-streamed the runway show for The Last Season Collection on TikTok, where viewers could shop the looks in real-time as models walked. Its use of TikTok drove the show viral while emphasizing that Madre Natura's new collection would not appear until every piece from the previous season was sold. 

Madre Natura has already made a name for itself as an impact-driven, slow-fashion label; its clothing is made locally in Sydney, for example, and each piece comes with free lifetime repairs. But the brand's decision to opt out of showing new designs at AFW24 is a powerful demonstration of putting sustainability claims and values into direct practice. One for other designers and retailers to consider?