Reimagine the future

Future generations living on this planet are at the mercy of the choices we make today. The people alive today determine the conditions for the trillions of people yet to be born. By the time today’s children reach old age, they are projected to experience four times as many extreme weather events – assuming that the world manages to keep global warming to 1.5°C. Similarly, human-made chemicals and radioactive materials we have been introducing to the environment are threatening Earth’s natural systems beyond safe limits. Our actions are not setting future generations up for success, so why aren’t we changing course?

Our societies tend to focus on the here and now when it comes to decision-making. This shortsightedness is called presentism. The future, on the other hand, is a more distant concept to us, which frequently leads us to disregard the potential impacts on those who come after us.  When we prioritize immediate desires over the needs of the future, we frequently create problems and destroy opportunities for the next generations. Many of the decisions taken today, such as the destruction of nature and the erosion of traditional knowledge, endanger both biological and cultural diversity, creating a world with fewer resources and decreased resilience.

One example of the way presentism is creating long-term consequences is through nuclear energy, which some view as a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Though nuclear power does indeed come with low-carbon emissions, it also produces radioactive waste that harms human health and the environment. Furthermore, nuclear waste has a lifespan of over 100,000 years, making it extremely difficult to dispose of. Currently, storage is the only option: either in temporary storage sites, which pose containment risks, or long-term deep geological disposal, with only one such facility under construction globally. As a result, we continue to produce large amounts of toxic materials in the hopes that future generations will solve the problem. 

The risks we face today, such as climate change and ecosystem loss, demand immediate, future-sighted responses. The time to act is now – by embracing long-term thinking, we can care for our descendants and set them up for success for generations yet to come.

This begins with a transition from short-term to long-term thinking, considering the lasting effects of our current actions on both the nearer and more distant future. By recognizing our place within the broader narrative of humanity, we can better understand our duty to safeguard the future and our responsibility towards next generations. This mindset is not new and is in fact deeply rooted in various Indigenous traditions. For example, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in the north-eastern region of North America lives by the Seventh-Generation principle, which urges individuals to consider how their decisions will affect the next seven generations. Embracing this thinking could change how we view the world and the decisions we make today. 

Investing in renewable energy sources like wind and solar is the clearest and most sustainable path forward. These energy sources can minimize long-term environmental damage and reduce dependence on harmful technologies. Wind power alone has helped avoid 830 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year since 2019, which amounts to roughly 2.2 per cent of the world’s current annual emissions. Future planning must not only prioritize these sustainable energy transitions but also include the interests of the future generations in decision-making, as they will face the consequences of today's choices. One approach to this is seen in Finland, where the Committee for the Future has been established to discuss future problems and opportunities. This committee ensures that today’s choices are made with long-term impacts in mind. Similarly, future-oriented committees are taking hold globally in places such as Chile, Iceland and the Philippines to safeguard the well-being of those who will inherit the world we shape.