Mapping Europe's environmental future : understanding the impacts of global megatrends at the national level

One definition of a GMT is that they are 'large, social, economic, political, environmental or technological changes that are slow to form. Once in place, megatrends influence a wide range of activities, processes and perceptions, both in government and in society, possibly for decades' (CSG, undated). The EEA SOER 2015 defines GMTs as 'large-scale, high impact and often interdependent social, economic, political, environmental or technological changes' that can have decisive and critical implications (EEA, 2015d). The megatrends analysed in the EEA SOER 2015 provide a research- and expert-judgement-based perspective on how interrelated and connected global drivers and trends are likely to evolve over time. The EEA SOER 2015 assessment of GMTs analyses 11 megatrends that are considered to be of key importance to Europe's long-term environmental outlook.