Forum for the Future

Established in 1996, this non-for–profit organization is dedicated to the pursuit of ‘sustainable development’ by attempting to address the deep rooted causes of unsustainable living in the areas of climate chance, social inequality and environmental degradation. Founded by Sara Parker and Paul Ekins and now employing over 70 staff, Forum for the Future (FFF) is gaining a reputation as one of the UK’s leading ‘think tanks’ for creating sustainable futures. The organization seeks to define the meaning of ‘sustainable development’ in its broad context and sees that living sustainability is non-negotiable for the long-term survival of businesses, communities and ultimately ourselves. FFF builds its activities on the strong belief that businesses and communities have the opportunity to innovate and transform to operate sustainably and that this ‘can’ be achieved.

The organization delivers a range of practical, ‘hands-on’ services to business’s, public authorities and community organizations who seek to bring about change, offering ‘research, inspiration, advice, capacity building and support to stimulate transformation. FFF has pinpointed 6 key sectors to transform utilizing a solutions-based approach, including ‘the built environment, finance, retail, transport, tourism and the public sector’. The organization recognizes the ineffectiveness of the ecological ‘doom and gloom’ fear based approach to stimulating change and instead creates a ‘space’ where opportunities can prosper, where improvements to sustainable activity can be highlighted and explored.

Forum for the Future has been fundamental in the research activities of Tesco, to facilitate the delivery of their Carbon Labelling scheme. FFF also delivers a range of services and practical tools for organizations including:
· The Natural Step (TNS)
· Streamlined Life Cycle Analysis (SLCA)
· Sustainable Business Model
· Environmental Impact Analyser (EIA):