Climate Futures analyses the social, political, economic and psychological consequences of climate change and describes how different global responses to the problem could lead to five very different worlds by 2030.

Download Climate Futures here (6.7MB pdf)

Read the Green Futures feature 'New Year's Day 2030' here

Climate Futures was developed in collaboration with researchers from HP Labs

Efficiency First

Rapid innovation in energy efficiency technologies has created a consumerist, low-carbon world. Yet society balances precariously on a fine point, with ever-increasing reliance on new innovations to mitigate continuing climate change.

Massive desalination plants in the Middle East and North Africa soak up energy from the sun to irrigate the desert for resource production. Wilderness exists only in a few pockets of the world.

Service TransformationHigh carbon prices have resulted in businesses rethinking their models and selling services rather than products.

Individual car ownership is prohibitive but the public transport system is highly efficient. Collective laundry services have replaced washing machines. A 'share with your neighbour' ethos exists and global carbon emissions decline for the first year in history

Redefining Progress

People are rethinking what it means to lead a fulfilling life.

Meaningful jobs are valued and stronger links with local communities are cultivated. People are attracted to simplicity and focus much more on quality of life than economic prosperity. Climate change is well understood and viewed as one part of unsustainable living.

Environmental War Economy

Governments have left it late to deal with climate change and have been forced to rationalise whole industry sectors and take control of many aspects of citizens' lives.

They build dams and powerful sea wall defences to protect land from the raging oceans, yet growing numbers of environmental refugees must find new countries willing to accommodate them. Greenhouse gases are beginning to decline, but the cost to individual liberty has been great.

Protectionist World

The world is divided into protectionist blocs, and countries wage violent wars over scarce resources like water. Communities are divided and cyber-terrorists take advantage of the flux, paralysing communications networks and targeting collapsed states.