Alternatives represent different ways to achieve the objectives, and they may include, for example, different policies (e.g. emission reduction strategies), projects (e.g. location options for a wind farm) or actions (e.g. conservation measures). The aim of this phase is to create a set of feasible and meaningful options to compare. This phase should not be limited to existing options.
Brainstorming, expert input and other structured approaches can help stimulate creativity and encourage the exploration of new alternatives. For example, value-focused thinking begins by identifying objectives and then asking questions such as, "How can these objectives be achieved?" This helps generate alternatives that are designed to fulfil the stated objectives, rather than simply selecting from an existing set of options. Characteristics of a good alternative include feasibility (incl. technical, legal and practical), relevancy to the objectives, meaningfulness and being implementable. A set of good alternatives should be internally consistent and cover a sufficient range of options (including diverse approaches, viewpoints and possibly a status quo) so that the alternatives are sufficiently distinct from one another
