Taking inspiration from Bright Spots, where can we focus? A call to action

You’re likely inspired by Safi Organics, which is leveraging state-of-the-art technology to ultimately increase the yields of more than 20,000 farmers in Kenya while reducing their operational costs. Or by Our Zero Selby, a community-led project putting people at the heart of the transition to net zero. Or by Comunidad y Biodiversidad, a non-profit working with small-scale fisheries in 161 communities in Mexico to co-design place-based approaches for healthy oceans and livelihoods. 

But while important, inspiration alone won’t change anything. After all, it’s not about what you know, it’s what you do with it that matters. A better future starts with the choices we make, and the actions we take, every day – but when it comes to the ‘how’ of transformational change, few know where to focus. 

At Forum for the Future, we believe the case for transformative action has long since been made, and that it’s time to shift the discourse from the need to the how. 

That’s where the Future of Sustainability comes in. The stories of those already challenging the status quo and fundamentally reimagining the way things are done are all around us.  

But there needs to be more initiatives like these, they need to scale, and they need to create change quickly.  

So how can we support them, or others like them? And how can create our own Bright Spots? Forum is calling on each of us to:  

• Embrace different thinking: Whether it’s seeing change as opportunity, not risk, or factoring in the whole versus focusing on silos, our mindset matters. We cannot solve the world’s crises with the same thinking that created them; it’s time for something fundamentally different. 

• Engage wide-ranging perspectives and (too often) lesser-heard voices in the creation and scaling of systemic solutions. Different voices mean different thinking, different solutions and more integrated efforts.  

• Deepen our understanding: Changemakers must challenge themselves and ask big questions, from what it means to create transformational change over incremental improvements, to where you really need to focus for maximum impact—and the barriers that might get in the way.  

• Challenge our assumptions about what change means, and how it happens. The world is a web of complex, deeply interconnected challenges, yet we often apply linear thinking and expect quick results. Failing to account for the bigger context of our climate and social challenges risks delivering immediate results that fall well short of what’s actually needed, while creating unintended consequences for the future. It’s time to change how we think about change.   

• Reframe our pathways: Moving beyond growth-centered frameworks, Bright Spots can offer us a blueprint of possible pathways that not only reduce harm but actively restore and replenish ecosystems, communities and economies. This shift requires us to prioritise equity, resilience, and respect for natural limits. 

We recognise that creating transformational change is not easy, but in a world reeling from escalating geopolitical tensions, extreme weather events, worsening inequality and crashing biodiversity, anything short of transformation won’t cut it.  

So where will you focus in the pursuit of a just and regenerative future where both people and planet thrive?