Futures thinking primarily aims to address a key barrier to effective climate action, which is short termism. This is partly a very human barrier, in that it is difficult to think about an uncertain, and possibly alarming future, without feeling overwhelmed or hopeless. It is also partly a political barrier, in that politicians are frequently driven to make short term promises, bounded by election cycles, on the assumption that citizens only care about short term interests – although evidence suggests this is not always the case.

Futures thinking encompasses a range of methods and tools, and should be used as part of a wider citizen engagement process rather than in isolation. The outcomes of a future thinking exercise should be shared widely with decisionmakers and broader publics. ​​​​​​​

Depending on the precise method or tool used, futures thinking might require video production capacity, if this is the intended output. Here’s an example from the Scottish Climate Assembly.

Futures thinking is an umbrella term that includes a wide range of methods and tools, so it should be possible to find the right one that works for your needs. One core principle that shouldn’t be violated is that powerful stakeholders or decisionmakers should not be able to influence the content of futures thinking activities. This can decrease participants’ sense of agency, constrain imagination and push an agenda onto participants.