Speculative Storytelling as a Tool for Biodiversity and Climate Communication

Communicating biodiversity loss and climate disruption to non-specialist audiences requires approaches that translate complex scientific processes into accessible and emotionally resonant forms. Speculative storytelling, including science fiction and future-oriented narratives, offers a promising strategy. By imagining plausible futures grounded in current scientific knowledge, these narratives illuminate the consequences of environmental change while encouraging reflection on societal choices, adaptive behaviours, and potential pathways forward.
Within the Science and Society spoke of the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), funded by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), we adopt an interdisciplinary, research-informed framework for the design of such narratives. Science communicators operate as intermediaries between researchers and creative professionals – writers, illustrators, media producers – ensuring both scientific accuracy and narrative coherence. This role includes conceptual development, the selection of scientific experts based on thematic relevance and communication skills, and continuous collaboration throughout the creative process. It also extends to the public-facing dissemination of the resulting works, enabling coherence between scientific objectives, artistic expression, and audience engagement.

A key aspect of this approach is the strategic use of distinct speculative modes to engage different audiences. Dystopian narratives explore the ecological and social implications of biodiversity loss by depicting futures in which degraded ecosystems or climate-altered conditions shape daily life, effectively highlighting risks and long-term consequences. In contrast, positive or “post-crisis” futures imagine societies that have adopted sustainable practices and redefined their relationship with natural systems, promoting a sense of agency and motivating constructive engagement.
Embedding rigorous scientific input within imaginative world-building allows speculative storytelling to convey biodiversity and climate issues in ways that extend beyond traditional educational formats. By making abstract temporal scales, uncertain projections, and complex socio-ecological dynamics more concrete, these narratives support both understanding and emotional resonance. The use of varied media – from comics to podcasts – further enables the tailoring of content to diverse publics and communication contexts.
I will discuss selected initiatives that employ speculative storytelling for biodiversity and climate communication across different media formats. These examples show how interdisciplinary, narrative-driven approaches can create science communication that is both emotionally engaging and scientifically robust, enriching public understanding of environmental change.