News & Events

7 november 2022

ESA at the COP27

ESA participation throughout the UN Climate Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh. Egypt

World leaders and experts convene in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt for COP27, the latest United Nations Climate Change conference.

With the planet on course for 2.4-2.6 degree C warming (relative to pre-industrial levels) and warnings of future catastrophe from the UN, the conferences central focus will be on limiting future greenhouse emissions and addressing loss and damage resulting from unavoidable consequences of climate change. However, conference participants will also be taking stock of the latest climate science.

It is here that satellites have played a key role with observations detailing the major changes taking place across the planet cited in the IPCC's latest Sixth Assessment report. including a near-synchronous shrinkage in the world’s glaciers; accelerating ice mass loss of the polar ice sheets and rise in average global sea level.

As an official observer to COP27, ESA representatives will be participating throughout the event to highlight the value space-based observations bring, not only to the scientific understanding of climate, but to climate model validation to improve predictions of future change; and also the growing use of satellite information in enabling the global community and nation states to take climate action and track progress towards nationally pledged commitments to limit global warming that are enshrined in the Paris Agreement.

ESA COP27 event participation:

Date 08 November

Title: Current status and future perspectives on greenhouse gas emission mitigation and impacts

Time (local): 13:00-14:30

Location: Japanese Pavillion, Blue zone

Link: http://copjapan.env.go.jp/cop/cop27/en/exhibition/details/jamstec/

ESA Contributor: Clement Albergel, European Space Agency

09 November

Title: Climate Information for Decision Making

Time (local): 09:30-10:30

Location: Science for Climate Information Pavillion, Blue zone

Link: https://public.wmo.int/en/our-mandate/climate/wmo-unfccc-cop/cop27/climate-information-for-decision-making

Earth Information day

Time (local): 10:00-13:00

The Earth Information Day provides a dialogue for exchanging information on the state of the global climate system and developments in systematic observation (FCCC/SBSTA/2019/2 para. 58) and consists of a dialogue session and poster session. The themes of the dialogue are guided by the submissions of Parties and observers and reflect mandates on research and systematic observation and the wider context of ongoing work under the UNFCCC.

Link: https://unfccc.int/event/earth-information-day-2022

Panel 2: Earth Observations for Mitigation

Time (local): 11:00

Summary

  • Further enhancing understanding of the Earth climate cycles and observation gaps
  • Supporting national ambitions and communications under the Paris Agreement through Earth Observation
  • Identifying related uncertainties, challenges and their impacts
  • Approaches, good practices and tools to strengthen the climate services value chain from observations to decision making to inform action on mitigation and support national reporting

Contributor:Frank Martin Seifert, ESA

Panel 3: Earth Observations for Adaptation and Early warning systems

Time (local): 11:55

Summary

  • Further enhancing understanding of the Earth climate cycles and observation gaps
  • Projecting, forecasting and adapting to increasingly intense extreme events and implementing early warning systems
  • Supporting national ambitions and communications under the Paris Agreement through Earth Observations
  • Identifying related uncertainties, challenges and their impacts
  • Approaches, good practices, tools and climate information to inform action on adaptation and Early Warning Systems across sectors and support national reporting

Contributor: Annett Bartsch, BGEOS and science leader ESA Climate Change Initiative Permafrost project

Earth Information day Poster session

Updates on the state of the climate and the global climate observing system

  • Earth Observation from space: Supporting the Parties in Implementing the Paris Agreement
Supporting the Parties in Implementing the Paris Agreement

Link:https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/EID_2022_Poster-CEOS-CGMS-Panel1.pdf

Authors: Albrecht von Bargen (DLR), Jeff Privette (NOAA), Mark Dowell (EC), Frank Martin Seifert (ESA) on behalf of the Joint CEOS/CGMS Working Group on Climate.

  • Observing the ocean carbon cycle from space

Author: Gemma Kulk, Plymouth Marine Laboratory & National Centre for Earth Observation

Link: https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/Observing%20the%20Ocean%20Carbon%20COP27%20PML-NCEO%20Poster%20Final%20%28GK%2026-10-2022%29.pdf

  • Systematic Observations Required for mitigation

Screenshot 2022-11-07 at 13.53.22

https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/EID_2022_Poster-CEOS-CGMS-Panel2.pdf

Albrecht von Bargen, DLR; Jeff Privette, NOAA; Mark Dowell, EC; Frank Martin Seifert, ESA; on behalf of the Joint CEOS/CGMS Working Group on Climate

  • Strengthening Observation-Modelling Interface to Support Climate Action

Screenshot 2022-11-07 at 13.54.35

https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/COP22_EID_obs-modelling%20Finalb.pdf

Author: European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative (ESA CCI)

  • RECCAP-2 Attribution: Balancing the global land carbon budget and elucidating its regional drivers

Screenshot 2022-11-07 at 13.58.22

https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/poster%20RECCAP2_COP27.pdf

Authors: Philippe Ciais, Ana Bastos, Stephen Sitch, Marielle Saunois, Xin Lin, Frederic Chevallier, Jean-Pierre Wigneron, Catherine Prigent, Luiz Aragão, Philippe Aires, Carlos Jimenez, Dominic Fawcett, REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes project, Phase 2

  • Near-real-time estimates of greenhouse gas budgets

Screenshot 2022-11-07 at 13.59.49

Link: https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/Poster_NRT_GHGbudgets_RECCAP2.pdf

Authors: Philippe Ciais, Ana Bastos, Stephen J. Davis, Zhu Deng, Sassan Saatchi, Benjamin Poulter, Frederic Chevallier, Giacomo Grassi, Zhu Liu, Ron L. Thompson, Gallen A. McKinley, Nicolas Gruber, Jean-Pierre Wigneron, Stephen Sitch, Marielle Saunois, Alexandre d’Aspremont, Thomas Lauvaux, Grégoire Broquet, James T. Randerson, Clément Albergel, Lesley Ott, and David Crisp,

Title: Supporting nations – the global stocktake and CO2 monitoring and verification

Time (local): 16:00-17:00

Location: EU pavilion, Blue zone (remote)

Link: https://app.swapcard.com/event/eu-side-events-cop27/planning/UGxhbm5pbmdfMTA1MTkyMw==

Speakers:

Link: https://app.swapcard.com/event/eu-side-events-cop27/planning/UGxhbm5pbmdfMTA1MTkyMw==

Title: Forests in Africa – how satellites support climate actions!

Time (local): 16:45-18:15

Location: Memphis room

Organiser: European Space Agency in cooperation with other research organizations a

Agenda:

  • Opening Remarks Mariko Harada (JAXA), Frank Martin Seifert (ESA)
  • Global Observations for Africa Systematic Observations from Space, Frank Martin Seifert (ESA), Hiroshi Suto (JAXA)
  • Capacity development and improvements for African forest monitoring, Martin Herold (GFZ)

Forests in Africa

  • NFMS to support GHG reporting in Mozambique Joaquim Macuacua (National Directorate of Forestry in Mozambique)
  • Assessment and monitoring of forest cover in the Republic of Congo Carine Saturnine Milandou (Head of CNIAF - National Forest Inventory and Management Centre, Republic of Congo)
  • Kenya's Forest Sector National Forest Monitoring System Ms. Faith Mutwiri (Assistant Conservator of Forests, Kenya Forest Services)
  • Panel Discussion with all the speakers

10 November

Title: Destination Earth: Earth’s digital twin to support greener policies for a greener future

Time (local): 10:00-11:00

Location: EU pavilion, Blue zone /remote

Link: https://app.swapcard.com/event/eu-side-events-cop27/planning/UGxhbm5pbmdfMTA1MjUwMg==

Contributors:

  • Irina Sandu, Science Lead for Destination Earth, ECMWF
  • Nick Hanowski, Nicolaus Hanowski, Head of the Mission Management & Ground Segment Department, ESA
  • Lothar Wolf, Programme Manager of Destination Earth, EUMETSAT
  • Moderators
  • Tobias Wiesenthal, Deputy Head of Unit for Open Science and Digital Modelling, DG CNECT, European Commission
  • Elisabeth Hamdouch, Deputy Head of Unit for Earth Observation, DG DEFIS, European Commission

Title: Supporting nations – the global stocktake and CO2 monitoring and verification

Time (local): 16:00-17:00 / 10 November

Location: EU pavilion, Blue zone (remote)

Link: https://app.swapcard.com/event/eu-side-events-cop27/planning/UGxhbm5pbmdfMTA1MTkyMw==

Speakers:

11 November

Title: Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) 2022 Implementation Plan

Time (local): 12:15-13:15 -

Location: WMO/IPCC/MERI "Science for Climate Action" Pavilion (number 20, area B).

Link: https://public.wmo.int/en/our-mandate/climate/wmo-unfccc-cop/cop27/global-climate-observing-system

ESA contribution: Clement Albergel, ESA Climate Office will explain the role of space agencies, satellite Earth observation and the ESA Climate programme in addressing GGOS ECVs

Title: “Wildfire increase, a challenge for Earth system and societies”

Climate and land use changes affect frequency, distribution and intensity of wildfires, which impact ecosystems, societies, weather and climate. Wildfires also provide ecosystem services and nutrients to marine biota. Here we discuss fire risk from a natural and social science view.

Time (local): 16:45 – 18:15
Location: Memphis, Side events can be streamed via the official secretariat managed YouTube Channel 

Organized by Future Earth International and Colorado State University