Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
Published December 16, 2025 | Version This is a revised version of NFF methodological guidance -version 1 (https://zenodo.org/records/8171339)
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The Nature Futures Framework, a flexible tool to support the development of scenarios and models of desirable futures for people, nature and Mother Earth, and its methodological guidance

Authors/Creators

Contributors

Project member (44):

  • 1. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
  • 2. University of Tokyo
  • 3. Wits University and Stockholm Resilience Centre
  • 4. UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
  • 5. United States Geological Survey
  • 6. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
  • 7. Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University
  • 8. Wageningen University
  • 9. The University of British Columbia
  • 10. Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences
  • 11. Global Green Growth Institute
  • 12. Ministry of Environment of Egypt
  • 13. Addis Ababa University
  • 14. Universidad Austral de Chile
  • 15. INPE
  • 16. Universidade de Sao Paulo
  • 17. IFREMER
  • 18. National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj
  • 19. Universite Paris-Sud
  • 20. Australian National University
  • 21. Centre for World Economy Studies (CIEM)
  • 22. Boğaziçi University Institute of Environmental Sciences
  • 23. Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences (NIES)
  • 24. George Mason University
  • 25. Khazar University
  • 26. PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
  • 27. ROR icon Texas A&M University
  • 28. ROR icon Nanyang Technological University
  • 29. ROR icon Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
  • 30. ROR icon Carleton University
  • 31. Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • 32. Peace Research Institute Oslo
  • 33. Institute for Global Environment Strategies
  • 34. ROR icon Wolkite University
  • 35. ROR icon Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia
  • 36. ROR icon Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
  • 37. ROR icon Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications
  • 38. ROR icon Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
  • 39. ROR icon Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Description

In line with its mandate, the IPBES task force on scenarios and models developed a methodological guidance to accompany the foundations of the Nature Futures Framework, a flexible tool to support the development of scenarios and models of desirable futures for people, nature and Mother Earth, welcomed by the IPBES Plenary in decision IPBES-9/1. The methodological guidance provides the latest work on the foundations of the Nature Futures Framework and the further-developed methodological guidance. The text of Part I on the foundations of the Nature Futures Framework is identical to the document welcomed by the Plenary at IPBES 9 in decision IPBES-9/1 but has been complemented by the updates prepared in line with the workplan of the task force, consisting of an additional paragraph on the alignment with the IPBES conceptual framework and the findings of the IPBES Methodological Assessment Report on the Diverse Values and Valuation of Nature (Section I/D), and a synthesis of catalysed work on scenario development across knowledge systems, which has been uploaded to Zotero (Nature Futures Framework | Zotero). The subsequent sections provide the methodological guidance which is a living document and was first presented at IPBES 9 in document IPBES/9/INF/16. A second version of the methodological guidance was presented at IPBES 10 in document IPBES/10/INF/13 which responded to comments received from governments and an online dialogue to provide a clearer structure and distinction between the various methods in which the Nature Futures Framework can be used. Part II and Part III of this document provides the current version of the methodological guidance, which has been further updated in line with the workplan of the task force in IPBES/11/12. The current version responds to the request by governments to provide content to better account for different knowledge systems, including Indigenous and local knowledge systems and Mother Earth-centric scenarios and models. Additional revisions reflect ongoing development of the Nature Futures Framework by the Nature Futures Framework community of practice.  A link to the current version was made available in document IPBES/12/INF/16 as part of the information provided to the Plenary at IPBES 12.

Part I: The Foundations of the Nature Futures Framework, a flexible tool to support the development of scenarios and models of desirable futures for
people, nature and Mother Earth, describing the rationale for, and concepts captured in, the Nature Futures Framework; and

Part II and Part III: A living methodological guidance that introduces the various methods. Part II presents how the Nature Futures Framework could be used to develop novel scenarios that incorporate the multiplicity of specific value perspectives for nature, and how these scenarios can be explored using models. Part III presents additional detail of approaches and case studies to support the utilisation of the NFF.

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Additional details

Related works

Is new version of
Other: https://zenodo.org/records/8171339 (URL)

Dates

Available
2025-12-12
Revised NFF methodological guidance Version v2

References

  • IPBES (2025). The Nature Futures Framework, a flexible tool to support the development of scenarios and models of desirable futures for people, nature and Mother Earth, and its methodological guidance, version November 2025, IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17530778