Broadening the Dialogue: Exploring Alternative Futures to Inform Climate Action
It is impossible to predict what the world will be like in 2050, but it is possible to shape that world. Anticipating and reflecting upon a range of plausible futures can illuminate potential opportunities and risks on the horizon.
While there is more to explore, research, and learn, society cannot afford to wait until we know all the answers. Undertaking exercises such as the one described in this report help us to challenge our assumptions about the future, identify blind spots, and assess opportunities and risks, ultimately allowing us to design and adapt strategies that are more appropriate for the changing world we will all face between now and 2050.
The report covers:
- Trends, Emerging Developments, and Wildcards: critical drivers that are likely to shape the next few decades
- Different possible futures that pose challenges—and offer opportunities—for decarbonization between now and 2050
- Possibilities for how different programs and strategies for climate action may fare in an uncertain future
If you would like more information about this work, please contact us: casey.cronin@climateworks.org.
This project was facilitated by ClimateWorks and Futures CoLab, a collaboration between Future Earth and the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence
Published November 14, 2018
