ABOUT
Futures We Envision
Futures We Envision is a global science and public engagement partnership, which aims to bring academic and research communities, policymakers, civil society, and the public’s perspectives together as actors in the ‘whole system’ to spark effective and more legitimate climate action.
The partnership is founded on the premise that, when people are effectively engaged in climate
science, they gain greater awareness of climate issues, are more empowered to influence the
climate agenda, and can help to strengthen the quality and legitimacy of climate science and policy.
When policymakers and researchers are better equipped to engage in dialogue with people, they are
supported to understand the complexity of the issues they are working with through a range of
diverse perspectives, and to develop better, more trustworthy actions to address climate change.
The Partnership consists of eight countries (Colombia, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, the Seychelles,
UAE and the UK). In the first instance, the Partnership will be turning their attention to low emission
food systems and piloting science public engagement through deliberative mini publics in four
countries.
Over the course of 2022, citizens, scientists and government representatives from four pilot
countries (Colombia, Kenya and the Seychelles) will work to address one key policy and
engagement challenge in national food and agriculture systems.
In each country, the partnership will convene:
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A community of experts including national and international academics and experts, who signpost and review the scientific evidence which addresses the key challenge.
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Deliberative “mini public” workshops convening members of the public in different countries.
The deliberative workshops will help advise the community of experts and national governments on
potential policy recommendations and solutions to the challenge. The workshops will consider the
issues raised from different perspectives and discuss potential solutions, based on academic, local
and indigenous knowledge.
In turn, the expert community will, informed by the advice of, and priorities set by the workshops,
develop policy solutions to help address policy challenges. These will differ depending on the issues
and complexities identified in different countries, and will develop iteratively, engaging
communities, systems and lay perspectives as part of a ‘whole systems’ approach.
This project aims to catalyse climate action, engage a diversity of stakeholders on complex issues,
and showcase innovative approaches to deliberative public engagement and scientific research, as a
way to create potential bottom-up solutions to food related challenges internationally.
This website has been created to provide updates as the research progresses, be a space to share
each partner countries’ motivations and policy focus, an when the pilot stage has completed, it will
offer downloadable toolkits to help other researchers adapt and apply the methodology in new
contexts.