Our world is changing faster than before. For communities, governments, and businesses, the question is no longer if crises will strike but how prepared they will be to respond to them and transform.

In this turbulent moment, a new report, Resilience Science Must-Know, offers a roadmap. For the first time, decades of research have been distilled into nine essential insights to help decision-makers navigate uncertainty, strengthen societies, and safeguard both people and the planet.

Developed by Future Earth, the Global Resilience Partnership, Stockholm Resilience Centre, and partners worldwide, the report comes ahead of COP30 with a clear message: resilience must be central to how we make decisions about our shared future.

The Resilience Science Must-Knows turns years of research into practical insights that help leaders and communities plan for change, respond to crises, and build stronger, fairer societies.

Rather than simply returning to normal after a shock, the Must-Knows encourage us to evolve — to adapt, learn, and find new ways to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

“Resilience is not about bouncing back to business as usual,” Albert Norström, science director at the Earth Commission and co-lead of the report. “It’s about learning from crises, keeping options open, and enabling societies to transform toward fairer, more sustainable futures.”

The report also shows that resilience isn’t just about the environment or the economy — it’s about how everything connects. Climate, biodiversity, and development are deeply linked, and preparing for the future means addressing inequality, encouraging innovation, and making fairness and justice part of every decision.

“A healthy planet is a defining economic and social imperative,” adds Fatima Denton, co-chair of the Earth Commission and contributor to the report. “It’s not an environmental add-on. It’s the foundation of human well-being and justice.”

The Nine Must-Knows

1. Navigate accelerating risk – Build pathways toward more just and sustainable futures.
2. Cope, adapt, and transform – Resilience is more than bouncing back; it’s about evolving.
3. Invest today – benefit tomorrow – Strengthen the foundations of long-term well-being and prosperity.
4. Cultivate continuous learning and innovation – Experiment, learn, and innovate continuously.
5. Foster diversity in all its forms – Diversity supports persistence, adaptation, and transformation.
6. Nurture relationships – Strong connections enhance the flow of knowledge, resources, and trust.
7. Govern and negotiate trade-offs – Manage trade-offs to avoid harm, prevent conflict, and build lasting resilience.
8. Empower agency – Enable people and institutions to take intentional, grounded action.
9. Address power imbalances – Confront inequalities and historical injustices to reduce vulnerability.