Intergenerational Foresight 2026

Defining intergenerational foresight Foresight supports decision-making in conditions of uncertainty, where consequences unfold over long periods and are often difficult to reverse. Rather than predicting outcomes, it broadens the range of futures that decision-makers consider, enabling institutions to test assumptions, identify emerging risks, and examine how current choices influence longer-term trajectories. Intergenerational foresight takes this further by explicitly integrating responsibility across time into how foresight is conducted and governed. It transforms how established tools like horizon scanning and scenario planning are used, who participates in them, and how authority is exercised within the process. Fundamentally, intergenerational foresight involves multiple generations and knowledge systems in shared foresight activities from the start, even before framing problems and narrowing options. This approach recognizes that lived experiences, regional contexts and social and ecological positions influence how risks are perceived, strategic insights are generated and change is understood. Those who will live longest with today’s decisions often have heightened awareness of path dependency and irreversible change. When decision-makers exclude these perspectives, short-term biases limit futures thinking even if it is nominally oriented toward the long term. Adopting an intergenerational foresight approach has practical implications for governance. It expands participation by broadening definitions of expertise beyond seniority or proximity to power. It intentionally reconfigures authority within foresight processes, redistributing influence over how participants frame questions, explore futures, and understand trade-offs. The intergenerational foresight approach widens decision-makers’ view of time by highlighting long-term consequences, intergenerational trade-offs, and future possibilities alongside immediate performance. The value of intergenerational foresight lies in enhancing decision quality, institutional resilience, and legitimacy. By expanding perspectives and extending time horizons, it improves the detection of emerging risks, strengthens consideration of long-term trade-offs and reduces the risk of future liabilities going unseen. In contexts where public trust is declining, it also reinforces legitimacy by reconnecting authority with long-term consequences, demonstrating that futures thinking is rooted in both analysis and responsibility across time. 1 Intergenerational Foresight: An Approach for Long-Term Responsibility in Governance 8