Pathways towards just and nature-positive futures

Include the social sciences and humanities 

While visions of nature-positive futures already exist, it still is an open question what pathways towards such futures could look like. Current research predominantly comprises quantitative and model-based studies, with limited (although increasing) representation of social sciences and humanities. As such, this report deliberately sought out the social sciences to support the construction of a conceptual framework for just and nature-positive futures. Any study addressing the underlying causes of biodiversity loss – such as the disconnection between people and nature, concentration of power and wealth, and prioritisation of short-terms gains, which are all inherently political and economic questions – would benefit from including the social sciences and the humanities. The former, for example, can help increase our understanding of these causes and provide policy-relevant knowledge on how to create structural, systemic, and enabling conditions for transformative changes to reach the GBF goals. 

A core conceptual framework 

This study intends to support researchers in the (international) biodiversity-focused science-policy interface to develop, envision, and analyse transformative pathways towards just and nature-positive futures. We do so by presenting a conceptual framework (see Figure) that combines a number of crucial insights from the social sciences. Together, the conceptual building blocks underlying the framework provide insights into the dynamics of transformative change. These include pathways, which are scenarios that connect the present with some kind of normative future (whether it be visions, goals or targets); justice, which emphasises ensuring fair and equitable outcomes for nature and people; nature-positive, which entails both halting and reversing biodiversity loss and restoring nature; transformations, which refers to the fundamental changes that are needed to realise nature-positive futures; and plurality, i.e. the need to recognise diverse perspectives, imaginaries, knowledge systems, and values of nature in identifying just and nature-positive pathways. In addition, our framework pays attention to the role of power dynamics in transformative change as an important underlying factor. 

Justice as ambition, guiding principle, and critical lens

In positioning justice as a central component, our framework draws attention to the importance of creating space for a plurality of perspectives and knowledge systems to enrich the diversity of possible just and nature-positive futures and pathways towards them. The framework not only positions justice as an ambition or outcome of transformative change, but also as a guiding principle and a critical lens for the development of pathways, as well as a tool for reflexivity for those developing and using these pathways.

Practical tools and approaches

This study also provides guidance on how to develop just and nature-positive pathways, including a number of practical, participatory tools, such as the Nature Futures Framework and the Seeds approach. Central to these approaches is that they do justice to the importance of inclusive participation, help to foster reflexivity, and create understanding of power dynamics among stakeholders in exploring, developing or analysing nature-positive pathways.