Feeling lost?

You can refer to the Glossary to learn more about key terms.

• Parallel timelines: Different potential futures existing alongside each other, each with unique outcomes.

• Foresight: The practice of imagining and planning for possible futures.

• Forecasting: Predicting the most likely future based on current trends and data.

• Futures: The plural use of ‘Futures’ rather than the singular ‘Future’ represents the many different possibilities, visions, concerns, and desires for what the future could hold.

• Theme: A broad area of focus shaping future scenarios, like climate, social, or governance.

• Scenario: A detailed story describing how a future might unfold within one specific timeline.

• Archetype: A common pattern or model that can be used to group similar future scenarios.

• Backcasting: Starting with a future scenario and working backward to identify the steps that could have led there.

• Visioning: Creating a clear, inspiring picture of a preferred future to guide action.

• Baseline: A timeline where current trends mostly continue without major change.

• New Equilibrium: A future where systems adapt and stabilize amid new challenges.

• Transformation: A future marked by deep, systemic change and new ways of living.

• Decline: A timeline where systems fail or break down, causing hardship.