Building systems that are fit for the future means beginning with the end in mind and working together with unlikely allies. Our greatest challenges can only be addressed if we learn how to do this. In this TEDxYYC talk I lay out an approach that aligns diverse perspectives towards a shared understanding of what the future requires: backcasting from sustainability principles. This approach builds on more than 25 years of research and development led by The Natural Step, and it also serves as the foundation upon which the Future-Fit Business Benchmark is built. In the talk I also introduce a groundbreaking initiative that is putting these ideas to the test: the Energy Futures Lab.