Institutionalizing Foresight and Horizon Scanning for a Future-oriented UNEP
As part of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s effort to institutionalize strategic foresight and horizon scanning, the Africa Regional Sensemaking Workshop in Nairobi played a pivotal role in fostering an anticipatory, future-oriented culture. Supported by the UN Futures Lab/Global Hub, the workshop brought together regional experts and stakeholders to identify critical signals of change with a focus on eight critical global shifts that are accelerating the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss and pollution and waste. These contributions directly informed the publication of UNEP’s global foresight report, “Navigating New Horizons – A Global Foresight Report on Planetary Health and Human Wellbeing.” The outcomes of the report will be integrated into UNEP’s strategic planning process, presenting an opportunity to consider expanding programmes in areas like artificial intelligence, new technology, and robotics in agriculture.
- Collaborative outcomes: The workshop provided a platform to align regional insights with global foresight efforts, ensuring diverse perspectives informed the report’s findings.
- Diverse signals of change: The report highlights 18 signals of change, identified by hundreds of experts, that reflect both opportunities and challenges impacting planetary health and human wellbeing.
- Practical applications: Recommendations from the workshop emphasized the importance of a new social contract, agile governance, and integrated data systems to guide better decision-making and resilience-building.
Why it matters
The Strategic Foresight Africa Regional Workshop highlighted the unique dynamics within the region, ensuring that perspectives from the Global South are central to UNEP’s foresight journey. By supporting this initiative, the UN Futures Lab/Global Hub contributed to advancing UNEP’s capacity to anticipate global shifts and align its strategies with the complex realities of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The report emphasizes the interconnectedness and fragility of global systems while highlighting the risks of short-term priorities over anticipatory action. It demonstrates the potential of human ingenuity and international cooperation in addressing the triple planetary crisis and achieving sustainable solutions.
