Archetype Analysis is a methodological approach to studying complex socio-ecological systems and the interactions between their components. A socio-ecological system is any system that inherently involves both human and natural dimensions. 

Archetype Analysis aims to identify recurring patterns that commonly characterise these systems, and more importantly, to recognise patterns that either hinder or enable desired changes. The analytical process begins by deconstructing the problem. 

Biodiversity loss is when the reduction of any aspect of biological diversity (i.e., diversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels) is lost in a particular area through death (including extinction), destruction or manual removal; it can refer to many scales, from global extinctions to population extinctions, resulting in decreased total diversity at the same scale. 

The biodiversity nexus demonstrates the diverse, intertwined relationships between people and nature. It shows how our resource use affects nature and biodiversity and vice versa.  

Uncovering the interlinkages and interdependencies between the elements of biodiversity, water, food, energy, health, climate, and transport is crucial to better understanding the biodiversity nexus. By understanding the biodiversity nexus, we can make better decisions on how we manage and interact with nature and biodiversity. 

Co-creation refers to a collaborative process of knowledge creation involving diverse stakeholders. It includes the co-design of biodiversity-positive futures, pathways and actions for transformative change, the co-production of knowledge, as well as the dissemination of results. 

Justice refers to a broad value grounded in the principle of fairness — that is, the fair treatment of people and other-than-human nature. Injustice arises when conditions within a society systematically support some individuals or groups while hindering others in achieving basic flourishing (meaning the ability to fundamentally thrive within reasonable limits). In such cases, society can be considered, to some degree, unjust. 

Diverse aspects of justice, frequently used in environmental justice research, are distributive justice (fair allocation of resources), recognitive justice (social justice requires the recognition and affirmation of individuals' and groups' identities, cultures, and experiences), and procedural justice (fair decision-making processes). 

Knowledge integration refers to the combination of specific bodies of knowledge to form a more complete understanding of a system. It also involves understanding how different concepts relate to and interact with each other in particular contexts. 

Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a systematic approach used to evaluate different options in situations that involve multiple, often conflicting objectives. The MCDA process begins by identifying the problem, the available options, and the objectives to be considered. Each option is then assessed based on its impact on these objectives, and the objectives themselves are weighted according to their relative importance. 

In practice, the options being evaluated can be almost anything — for example, different high-level strategic choices or more ground-level decisions such as alternative forest management methods. 

Nature Futures Framework (NFF) is the foundation for developing scenarios of positive futures for nature. It helps inform assessments of policy options across multiple scales. The NFF places the relationships between people and nature at its core. Because people relate to nature in many different ways, there are diverse desirable nature futures, each with different goals and visions that can either work together or be in conflict. 

“Nature as culture” emphasizes the relational values of nature, where societies, cultures, traditions, and faiths are deeply intertwined with nature in shaping diverse biocultural landscapes. 

“Nature for nature” emphasizes the intrinsic values of nature, where value is placed on the diversity of species, habitats, ecosystems, and the processes that make up the natural world, as well as on nature’s ability to function independently. 

Nature for nature is connected to the Nature Futures Framework (see: Nature Futures Framework). 

“Nature for society” emphasizes the utilitarian benefits and instrumental values that nature provides to people and societies — for example, through nature’s contributions to people. 

In a nature-positive future, there exist only sustainable societies in which the connections between biodiversity, water, food, energy, transport, climate, and health are recognised, and where nature and biodiversity are integrated into everyday choices and policymaking. 

Nexus modelling framework captures and simulates the interconnections between biodiversity, climate change, food, water, energy, transport, and health. The framework improves the quantification of impacts, risks, and vulnerabilities, as well as cross-sectoral benefits, synergies, and trade-offs under a wide range of direct drivers (such as climate change and land use change) and indirect drivers (including socio-cultural, demographic, technological, economic, and governance factors). 

OneHealth is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. It recognizes that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment—including ecosystems—are closely linked and interdependent. The approach brings together multiple sectors, disciplines, and communities at different levels of society to work collaboratively in promoting well-being and addressing threats to health and ecosystems. It also tackles shared needs such as clean water, energy, and air, safe and nutritious food, climate action, and sustainable development. 

Pathways are descriptions of different strategies for moving from the current situation toward a desired future vision or a set of specified targets. They describe purposive courses of action that build on one another, progressing from short-term to long-term steps that lead to broader transformation.  

Policy option refers to a possible course of action or strategy that decision-makers and other actors can adopt to promote transformative change for biodiversity and ecosystem services in the context of climate change. 

Reflexivity refers to the ability to reflect on oneself or one’s own thinking to boost internal transformations. It involves mental processes that are directed back onto the mind itself, allowing a person to become aware of their own thoughts, decisions and actions, share them with others, and learn from the whole process. 

Scenarios are representations of possible futures for one or more components of a system, especially focusing on drivers of change in nature and nature’s contributions to people. They often include alternative policy or management options. 

Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs) describe alternative socio- economic futures in the absence of climate policy intervention, comprising sustainable development (SSP1), regional rivalry (SSP3), inequality (SSP4), fossil-fuelled development (SSP5) and middle-of-the-road development (SSP2).  

Transformative change is defined as “fundamental, system-wide shifts in views, structures and practices in ways that address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss and nature’s decline”. Transformative change is needed to address the major challenges to nature and humankind, such as biodiversity loss, climate change, and social injustices. Transformative change means that we move beyond just fixing problems and instead fundamentally shift how we interact with the natural world. Generating such fundamental shifts in our mindsets, policies, and practices demands action from all, from citizens to policymakers. A change is only transformative if it shakes up ecological, technological, and socio-economic systems.  

Transformative governance refers to the formal and informal rules, rule-making systems, and actor networks—both public and private—at all levels of human society, from local to global, that enable transformative change toward a just and sustainable world. It involves shifting views, structures, and practices to address direct and indirect drivers (including underlying causes) of biodiversity loss and nature’s decline. Actions include integrative governance that revises decision-making processes, inclusive governance that fosters ownership and deliberation among stakeholders, global and multi-level governance that addresses global interdependencies and commons issues, and adaptive governance that continuously evaluates and revises regulatory frameworks while holding responsible actors accountable for biodiversity-related challenges. 

 Transformative pathways, are sequential narratives of actionable steps and goals that deliberately aim to realize a fundamentally changed future from the current situation toward a desired future vision or a set of specified targets. It includes changing views, structures, and practices and buildup of alternatives and breakdown of the status quo.  

A vision is a desirable future, often defined as an endpoint in time. Visions usually consist of statements that express the desires, assumptions, beliefs, and paradigms underlying that future. They are shaped by values and worldviews and often include clear goals and intentional efforts to achieve the desired future state.