Scenarios of a sustainable Europe in 2050
A new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) presents four different approaches to achieving Europe’s socio-economic and environmental goals. The report is based on co-creative work by the EEA and the EIONET network. EIONET links more than 600 environmental institutions throughout Europe, including the Austrian Umweltbundesamt.
Achieving a sustainable Europe will require far-reaching societal change, engaging all areas of the economy and society according to the EEA report ‘Imagining sustainable futures for Europe in 2050’. Since 2020, the EEA and EIONET (Environmental Information and Observation Network) have been exploring how to use qualitative scenarios or ‘imaginaries’ to support environmental assessment and governance.
The EEA report is the first output from this process. It sets out four engaging, plausible and clearly contrasting images of a sustainable Europe, reflecting different assumptions about how socio-economic, environmental, technological and political trends will develop and interact, as well as contrasting visions of desirable futures.
EIONET - Environmental information and observation
The reports of the EEA are based on the information received from the European Environmental Information and Observation Network EIONET. In EIONET, over 600 environmental agencies and authorities, public and private research institutions across Europe are linked. They develop data, knowledge, and advice to policy makers about Europe's environment. As a partner organisation, the Umweltbundesamt, the Environment Agency Austria, provides EIONET with expert input in the areas of air and climate, nature, sustainability, energy and industry.
Further information
EEA report: Imagining sustainable futures for Europe in 2050
