ETC ST Report 2024/5: Horizon scanning 2024: Results of the EEA – Eionet participatory horizon scan to identify emerging issues relevant to the environment and environmental policy
This report summarises a horizon scanning exercise conducted from March to August 2024 with experts from the European Environment Agency (EEA), its country network (Eionet), and external specialists. The study identifies 14 emerging developments that may significantly affect environmental policies and practices across Europe. This systematic process to detect weak signals (topics not yet prominent in research, media coverage, or political agendas) aims to support proactive decision-making and inform upcoming policy debates at both national and EU levels. Horizon scanning for environmental policy is an approach to identify novel trends with potentially far-reaching implications that remain underexplored. Early awareness of such trends enhances foresight capacities within the EEA and Eionet, enabling environmental institutions to respond strategically to future threats and seize emerging opportunities. The selected issues highlight the close connection between environmental sustainability and technological innovation, socio-economic transitions, and broader geopolitical factors. This report emphasises the importance of anticipatory governance in managing complexity and uncertainty and offers a wide selection to encourage debate and analysis.
10 Feb 2025
Sylvia Veenhoff, Ullrich Lorenz, Ana Keser, Tereza Kochová
