We need to practice scouting from the future

Thinking about alternative futures is a skill we can all practice more! Forecasts are helpful when predicting the weather a few days in advance, but when it comes to imagining the future, there's no point in trying.

We have no data about the future. No patterns. The only thing we know is that a lot of big shifts are happening around us right now, partly driven by exponential technologies in collaboration. Everything from solar panels, to different flavors of AI or quantum computers are examples of technologies that are developing at a high rate and are becoming more efficient, competent and faster than it is possible to predict. And exponentiality is generally difficult for us humans to relate to. What we are good at, however, is both telling and absorbing stories about the future, which is what "spying" and scenarios are all about.

What we can do is visualize different futures to practice our future-thinking skills. By getting better at imagining different possible futures, we avoid suffering from future shock - which can happen when the future suddenly appears and we feel powerless to not be prepared and let alone be part of the development. When DALLE-2 was launched in 2022 and made it possible to describe an image with text that was then painted by an AI, the entire image industry was put to bed, hit by the shock of the future. Who needs image agencies and photographers when you can get unique images that perfectly meet the need within seconds? That future we only speculated about was suddenly a reality.

Future thinking strengthens the individual ability to be involved in shaping the future, and a belief that it is possible. Because the best way to predict the future is to create it yourself, as Abraham Lincoln is said to have said.

Now the entrepreneur, author and lecturer Judit Wolst has gathered insights from 10 futurists - among others signed as humbly and with horror mixed with delight I took up the challenge - in a report. In the report, we get to share insights from 2030, with technology and sustainability as a common thread. An excellent gym to practice forward-thinking skills in!

We do not say that we know what the future will be, but we do know that the 2020s is the Decade of Action when we must accelerate work towards Agenda 2030, and in particular to have the chance to halve emissions according to the Paris Agreement. By telling stories about the future, based on signals we see around us already today, we hope to stimulate thoughts about what kind of future we want, speed up conversations about how we can reach it and inspire more people to roll up their sleeves and take.Because it is needed. What will be your role in creating a sustainable future for everyone?

Towards 2030