Trends Identified
SEAS: a new space of opportunities
A better understanding of what is happening in the sea will provide a better knowledge of ocean resources and underpin better policies for their sustainable development. Research and innovation are progressing towards exploring the best possible ways that the seas can continue to be a healthy and productive life support system. Generating and capturing synergies among the various blue economy activities and addressing conflicts will be critical for unlocking the potential of the largely unexplored seas.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Space based services
Satellite navigation, Earth observation, telecommunication satellites are giving rise to an increasing number of services down on Earth. These services are pervading the daily life of citizens at unprecedented levels and will continue to do so.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Space technologies
The space sector is entering a new era with the inclusion of new technologies, operational concepts, manufacturing processes that in turn can enable new applications and services. International competition is increasing with new entrants (both new countries and new companies) and is challenging Europe's position.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Asteroid mining
Exploatation of non-terrestrial resources has been predicated for quite some time. However tools and hardware have been developed notably in the USA (both by NASA and private companies) to characterise and identify appropriate Near Earth Objects (NEOs) to eventually dock with them and exploit their resources. Asteroid mining is also linked to the protection of Earth from geocruisers and thus to the detection and tracking of such dangerous space objects.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Deep space travel
U.S. President Obama has indicated that the USA, and mandated NASA, to send a human mission to Mars by mid-2030 with intermediary steps to Lagragian points in 2020s. NASA is consequently developing appropriate capabilities with the SLS launcher and the Orion crew capsule that should be ready by early 2020s. This would allow human to ventures farther into deep space compared to previous endeavours in the last century.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Drones
Drone technology is now expanding quickly into the civil market, generating an increasing number of innovative services, new businesses and jobs. These emerging services have the potential to substantially increase productivity in a wide range of sectors (agriculture, energy, construction, etc.) and so support the competitiveness of European economy. As the drone industry is a crossroads of technologies, drone services will improve many aspects of the daily life of citizens.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
The end of the fossil era has begun
The successful global progress of renewable energies, the signal sent by the G7 states from Schloss Elmau in June 2015, the discussion started after the climate protection pledge in the USA and China on an effective global climate regime plus the decreasing use of coal in China and the USA and a spectacular drop in the price of oil since 2014 all lead to the question of whether the beginning of the end of the fossil age has already begun. Besides the reality of climate change, the drivers of this development are the increasingly volatile energy prices, particularly the above-mentioned drop in the price of oil, and a growing global awareness of the health effects of fossil energy generation, leading to growing regional protests.
2015
Megatrends in the global energy transition
WWF Germany
The energy future has already begun
The energy transition is a global reality. Photovoltaics and wind energy in particular have developed within a few years into new key energies for the 21st century. In 2013 more renewable energy power plants in terms of power generation capacity were set up worldwide than coal, gas and nuclear power plants put together. In terms of investment, the renewables sector is now significantly ahead of traditional energy technologies.
2015
Megatrends in the global energy transition
WWF Germany
The energy future is renewable
The global progress of renewable energies is primarily a result of the almost unbelievable success in reducing the costs. Wind energy plants on land are still the most cost-effective technology for renewable power generation. But in Germany the costs for solar power have dropped by 80 per cent since 2005. Increasing numbers of economy and financial experts are basing their analyses on photovoltaics now becoming the most cost-effective technology for electricity generation in ever more regions of the world. Electricity from the sun and wind will expand its triumphal progress beyond the power sector into the areas of mobility and heating.
2015
Megatrends in the global energy transition
WWF Germany
The energy future is decentralised
Energy generation from wind and sun but also from other renewable energy sources is decentralised. Instead of a few large power plants, in the energy system of the future millions of small plants will generate energy. Many of the stakeholders involved are both producers and consumers of power (prosumers). However, this does not mean that only small power plants will be left. The large systems and plants based on wind and solar power will probably retain their position in the new energy system. But in many poorer regions of the world which have an abundant supply of sun and wind, members of the public as prosumers could bene t long-term from decentralised renewable energy systems.
2015
Megatrends in the global energy transition
WWF Germany