Driving forces are clusters of individual tends on the same general subject. There are many trends or events that shape the future, but some are more important and evident than others. Driving forces highlight these major future shapers by organizing them under a few terms, normally 5-6. Examples of driving forces categories are: demographic, economic, science and technology, or social/political.

societal forces that bring about global environmental change, including population, economic, and technological changes, differing ideologies, and changes in social organizations.

Forces that try to cause motion: In the case of falling it would be gravity (weight). In the case of a car it would be the force from the engine (through the friction on tires). Sometimes an object can have multiple driving forces. (ie. an airplane in a dive, has the engine pushing it down at the same time gravity is pulling it down)