The 16th International Conference organised by Finland Futures Research Centre will deal with the different dimensions of Sustainable Futures in a Changing Climate. The United Nations Rio +20 summit in 2012 and the commitments of governments to create universal Sustainable Development Goals have generated new and fresh debate on sustainability challenges and how to best pursue environmental sustainability with social equity. At the same time it has become globally acknowledged that sustainable development cannot be thought of without reference to climate change – and vice versa.

Sustainable development and climate change are themes which operate on local, regional and global scales and require multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral research and cooperation. Environmentally, socially and economically sustainable development as well as successful climate change adaptation and mitigation can be achieved only by encouraging knowledge sharing and cooperation between various sectors and decision-makers. The methods of futures studies include tools for describing possible, probable and desirable variations of the present and drafting possible images of the future. By looking at the variety of different possibilities, we can come closer to shaping the future – rather than predicting it. Future studies offer valuable tools to understand and shape the development of our societies.

The conference will bring together the best experts from the fields of Futures Studies, Climate Change and Sustainable Development and enhance interaction and cooperation between the scientific community, policymakers and representatives of companies. By developing images of alternative futures, the goal of the conference is to present current academic research and give new viewpoints and novel ideas to decision-makers to assist them towards more feasible decisions for sustainable development.

For more information, please consult the Official website of the Conference