WP6: OPEN:EU Scenario Storylines Report: Scenarios for a One Planet Economy in Europe

In August the OPEN EU project released a report describing the findings of the development of four OPE future scenarios. These scenarios are designed to support policy makers in thinking about the policy effort needed to transform Europe into a One Planet Economy by 2050.

These four narratives provide alternative, albeit not necessarily ideal, visions of the transition toward a One Planet Economy in Europe by 2050. They present both an illustration of life in Europe in 2050 and the policy settings that are necessary to support the transition to this common end point under different assumptions about the future.

The scenarios were developed via a back-casting exercise on the basis of stakeholder input provided during a two-day workshop in September 2010. The four scenarios created were:

Scenario 1 – Clever and caring – a future with a quality driven mindset towards development with dynamic technological innovation.
Scenario 2 – Fast forward - a future with a quantity driven mindset towards development with dynamic technological innovation.
Scenario 3 – Breaking point - a future with a quantity driven mindset towards development with technological stagnation.
Scenario 4 – Slow motion - a future with a quality driven mindset towards development with technological stagnation.