The art of backcasting needs care in innovation activities

Backcasting is a planning method that starts with defining a desirable future and then works backwards to identify policies and programs that will connect that specified future to the present. The approach is distinct from forecasting, which predicts the future based on current trends, by envisioning future desired conditions and defining steps to attain them. Backcasting is a normative, strategic approach to sustainable development that relies on building a shared picture of the future and using principles to guide decision-making. It offers an alternative to forecasting, which can limit creativity and project present problems into the future.