Editorial: Operationalizing the nature futures framework to catalyze the development of nature-future scenarios

Abstract

Global biodiversity scenarios have long struggled to capture the diversity of ways people value and relate to nature, favoring instrumental, growth-oriented framings over relational and intrinsic perspectives. The Nature Futures Framework (NFF) was developed to address this gap, offering a pluralistic, target-seeking approach to imagining nature-positive futures. This Special Feature brings together contributions that advance the operationalization of the NFF across methods, geographies, and thematic domains—from visioning, narrative development and participatory co-creation to quantitative modeling and governance design. Drawing on these papers, we identify three cross-cutting lessons: the NFF functions best as a boundary object for negotiating plural values rather than a fixed typology; its operationalization depends on combining narratives, indicators, models, deliberation, and institutional design rather than any single method; and its next frontier lies in implementation, linking NFF-based scenarios to the policy instruments and governance institutions such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We highlight the NFF’s strengths in fostering value pluralism, expanding the scope of possible futures, and identifying trade-offs and synergies among competing priorities. However, we also acknowledge the following persistent challenges: translating qualitative, place-based values into quantitative models, preventing the standardization of relational values, and navigating the normative and political tensions involved in defining “desirable” futures. In closing, we outline a research agenda centered on developing pluralistic indicators, strengthening integrated social-ecological modeling, exploring alternative economic paradigms, and deepening inclusive co-production. As global biodiversity governance shifts toward implementation, we argue that the NFF is now well positioned to move from concept to practice.