  We present a roadmap to guide European research efforts towards a socially
responsible big data economy that maximizes the positive impact of big data in
environment and energy efficiency. The goal of the roadmap is to allow
stakeholders and the big data community to identify and meet big data
challenges, and to proceed with a shared understanding of the societal impact,
positive and negative externalities, and concrete problems worth investigating.
It builds upon a case study focused on the impact of big data practices in the
context of Earth Observation that reveals both positive and negative effects in
the areas of economy, society and ethics, legal frameworks and political
issues. The roadmap identifies European technical and non-technical priorities
in research and innovation to be addressed in the upcoming five years in order
to deliver societal impact, develop skills and contribute to standardization.
