Each week, the Tomorrowist team publishes a video podcast and a deep-dive article on a single important trend facing businesses. But business leaders need a holistic view of the changing business landscape. Here are a few stories from around the web focused on other Tomorrowist-worthy trends that readers shouldn’t miss.
How Climate Change Is Reshaping Home Insurance in California—and the Rest of the US (NPR)
What to Know: The ongoing Los Angeles-area fires are already projected to be among the costliest wildfire disasters in history, with the combined cost of damage and lost productivity potentially exceeding $250 billion. These catastrophic losses could destabilize California’s insurance market, as many customers will face higher premiums—if they can get coverage at all.
Why It Matters: The wildfires could change how insurance companies approach natural disaster risks across the U.S., as wider swaths of the country are becoming vulnerable to extreme weather. Look for insurers to reassess rates or even exit some markets. This trend will also likely impact everything from property values to investment opportunities in a variety of locations.
Can Renewable Energy Really Fix the Global Energy Crisis? (Fast Company)
What to Know: Climate change and growing energy demands have increased interest in renewable energy technology. But a series of hurdles, including high upfront costs, infrastructure limitations, and lagging energy storage technology, may blunt renewable energy’s short-term impact.
Why It Matters: The rise of AI, which relies on power-hungry server farms, suggests global energy usage will only increase in the decades ahead. Without significant changes to global energy infrastructure, increased energy demand could lead to higher prices for businesses and exacerbate the effects of climate change.
The Luxury Goods Market Has Created Its Own Crisis, and It Won’t Recover Until After 2027 (Fortune)
What to Know: A combination of shifting consumer trends, economic conditions, and brand dilution suggests the market for luxury fashion items may be in for a dismal few years ahead.
Why It Matters: This trend speaks to challenges that could affect many industries, as high-end consumers in Europe and China pull back on spending and changing tastes put legacy brands at a disadvantage. But this kind of realignment can also create opportunities for brands that are willing to invest in other regions, such as the Middle East and India, or that can adapt to rapidly changing consumer tastes.
6 Tech Trends from CES 2025 That Will Define the Next Era (CNET)
What to Know: Robotics and AI applications stole the show at this year’s CES, a major annual consumer electronics showcase in Las Vegas, but there were also plenty of intriguing offerings in the home goods and wearable electronics spaces.
Why It Matters: Some products shown at this year’s event are available now, but others won’t be commercially available for years, and a few will never materialize. The event isn’t just a showcase of what’s hot right now; it’s a space where companies try to gauge interest in emerging technologies. Understanding the reactions to the innovations on display can hint at where companies will invest their development dollars in the future and which tech will remain firmly in the realm of science fiction, at least for now.
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