Future Earth

Future Earth
Name	Future Earth
Formation	2012
Type	International research program
Headquarters	Montreal
Region served	Global

Future Earth is an international research initiative launched to coordinate transdisciplinary studies of global environmental change and sustainable development. It links researchers, policy makers, funders, and stakeholders across academic institutions, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and corporate actors to accelerate knowledge for action on climate, biodiversity, and human well-being. The program builds on earlier initiatives and aligns with global processes to inform negotiation, planning, and implementation at multilateral fora.

Overview

Future Earth was created to synthesize research from programs such as International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, World Climate Research Programme, Diversitas, International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change, and International Polar Year. It operates in the contexts of international policy processes including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Institutional partners include the International Council for Science, International Social Science Council, UN Environment Programme, and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Funding and coordination have involved foundations such as the Global Environment Facility, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and national agencies like the National Science Foundation and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Project History and Governance

The program emerged from consultations led by the International Council for Science and the International Social Science Council culminating in a launch endorsed by stakeholders at meetings in Stockholm and Rio de Janeiro. Governance structures include a Science Committee, a Stakeholder Forum, and a Global Secretariat hosted in Montreal with regional nodes linked to institutions such as Tsinghua University, University of Cape Town, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, University of Tokyo, and University of Oxford. Strategic guidance has involved advisors from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and representatives from the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the European Commission. Partnerships with research networks like International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Global Change SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training, and Future Earth Canada shape program priorities. Annual assemblies and science-policy dialogues occur alongside events such as the UN Climate Change Conferences and the Convention on Biological Diversity COP.

Research Themes and Programs

Research is organized around thematic programs including climate systems, biodiversity and ecosystems, urban transformations, oceans and cryosphere, food systems, and risk and resilience. Flagship initiatives have covered topics such as systems approaches, scenarios and pathways, and sustainable development solutions, interacting with projects like Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium, Earth System Modeling Framework, Global Carbon Project, Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project, and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. Collaborative platforms include task forces on transdisciplinary methods, knowledge co-production with indigenous groups and civil society organizations like Greenpeace and World Wide Fund for Nature, and partnerships with industry consortia such as the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Capacity-building efforts collaborate with universities, regional science bodies including the African Academy of Sciences, the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research, and the Latin American Academy of Sciences.

Global Partnerships and Capacity Building

Future Earth emphasizes North–South collaboration and capacity development through training programs, fellowship schemes, and regional hubs in partnership with institutions like UNESCO, UNDP, United Nations University, African Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Caribbean Community, and national academies such as the Royal Society and the National Academy of Sciences (USA). Work with initiatives including Belmont Forum, Future Earth Australia, Future Earth Japan, and the Global Framework for Climate Services supports translational research. Scholarships and joint appointments are offered with universities including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and Peking University. Collaborative research informs capacity efforts led by organizations like CARE International, Oxfam, and The Nature Conservancy.

Major Findings and Impact

Synthesis outputs and assessments produced under the program have influenced policy deliberations at the Paris AgreementUNFCCC, informed scenario work used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the IPBES assessments, and contributed to reports for the World Economic Forum and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Research contributions include advances in understanding planetary boundaries linked to the Stockholm Resilience Centre framework, quantification efforts by the Global Carbon Project, urban sustainability transitions studied in conjunction with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and coastal risk analyses relevant to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Outcomes have shaped funding priorities at agencies like the European Research Council and program design at the Global Environment Facility.

Criticisms and Challenges

Scholars and stakeholders have critiqued the initiative for governance complexity, unequal representation of researchers from low- and middle-income countries, and difficulties in translating science into local policy, citing tensions observed in partnerships with entities like the World Bank and multinational corporations. Methodological debates persist over the integration of Indigenous knowledge alongside academic science, exemplified in discussions involving the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and Local communities representation within multilateral processes. Funding volatility, competition with discipline-specific programs such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration projects and national research councils, and challenges in measuring impact across disparate assessments have been highlighted in reviews by bodies including the InterAcademy Partnership and major philanthropic reviewers.

Category:International scientific organizations