Definition:

The ability to collectively explore future developments and states, specifically to anticipate how sustainability challenges might evolve or occur over time (scenarios). This also includes collectively analyzing, crafting, and evaluating desired future states (visions). These visualizations of the future provide a foundation for researching evidence-supported alternative development pathways.

This key competency is critical for orienting planning activities, which in turn provides foundations for developing adaptation and mitigation responses, exercising precaution in decision-making, and motivating change. Futures-thinking competency intersects with values-thinking competency to assess the sustainability of future states/scenarios and develop visions, including sustainability visions. Visions represent what is desired and by whom and thus represent normative pictures of the future.