Journal article
Rethinking scenario building for sustainable futures: mobilizing conscientização, social learning and knowledge co-production
Ecosystems and people (Abingdon, England), v 21(1), 2507247
31 Dec 2025
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Scenario building is a powerful tool for evaluating drivers of environmental change and assessing alternative socioecological pathways, helping integrate science-based information into decision-making. Nonetheless, this potential has not been fully embraced by scientists and decision-makers, in part owing to limitations of current scenario frameworks at representing the diversity of values for nature and potential transformative changes to bend the biodiversity loss curve. There is still a need to further develop scientists' capacities to include a transdisciplinary perspective in scenario building to address the drivers of transformative change. This paper addressesthese needs by reflecting on the role of scientists engaged in scenario building in the construction of sustainable futures through the lens of three key concepts: social learning, knowledge co-production and conscientiza & ccedil;& atilde;o (a Portuguese term meaning to build sociopolitical awareness and take action). Drawing on a survey of participants of a Scenario Building School and a literature review, we suggest that scientists require capacity building to leverage these concepts together for the construction of transformative futures. This includes addressing power imbalances, improving inclusive and transdisciplinary participatory methods, reaching consensus and promoting action. We recommend that scientists engaged in scenario building focus on fostering transformative changes, challenging mainstream storylines, embracing diversity and addressing inequalities to pursue sustainable futures.
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Details
- Title
- Rethinking scenario building for sustainable futures: mobilizing conscientização, social learning and knowledge co-production
- Creators
- Danilo Borja - University of CalgaryJan Danek - Charles UniversityJulia C. Assis - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)Antonella Gorosabel - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasCarolyn Lundquist - University of AucklandIsabel Rosa - Bangor UniversityFabio Rubio Scarano - Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroNino Tavares Amazonas - Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroSilas C. Principe - Universidade de São PauloRob Alkemade - Netherlands Environmental Assessment AgencyAdnan Arshad - Pakistan Agricultural Research CouncilSandra Benavides-Gordillo - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)Rafael Cavalcanti Lembi - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)Tassia Rayane Ferreira Chagas - Universidade Federal de LavrasDiana Isabel Clavijo Rojas - Universidade de São PauloLara Cornejo-Denman - Universidad de SonoraViviane Dib - Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroSimon Ferrier - CSIRO Land and WaterEdberto Moura Lima - Univ Fed Santa Maria UFSM, Dept Agr & Environm Sci, Santa Maria, BrazilLuis Filipe Lopes - University of LisbonMatheus Camargo Silva Mancini - Universidade Federal de LavrasJuan Andres Martinez-Lanfranco - University of AlbertaWladimir Moya - Universidad de Los LagosJulia Niemeyer - Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroUnai Pascual - IkerbasqueAlice Ramos de Moraes - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)Mercy Funke Salami - University of IlorinCarla Rivera Rebella - Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileFabio H. C. Sanches - Istituto di Scienze Marine del Consiglio Nazionale delle RicerchePriyanka Sarkar - Drexel UniversityJuliana Siqueira-Gay - Hospital Universitário da Universidade de São PauloRaisa Romenia Silva Vieira - International Institute for SustainabilityCatalina Zuluaga Rodriguez - Universidade de São PauloCarlos Alfredo Joly - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)Rafael C. Borges (Corresponding Author) - Vale Technological Institute
- Publication Details
- Ecosystems and people (Abingdon, England), v 21(1), 2507247
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Grant note
- TL02000520 / Technology Agency of the Czech Republic ANID PIA/BASAL FB0002 / Agencia Nacional de Investigacion y Desarrollo Computational Biodiversity Science and Services Program (Bios2-Canada) 2017/17337-9 / FAPESP; Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) 373408/2019-6; 373092/2020-2 / Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq); Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ) Killam Trusts PODA-Pakistan VS260471 / Specific Academic Research project "Research on social and environmental innovations" Vale Institute of Technology National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII-Uruguay)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001514473200001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105009262448
- Other Identifier
- 991022197298004721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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Source: SDGs in the Output
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Biodiversity Conservation
- Ecology
- Environmental Sciences
- Environmental Studies