Climate side meeting15:30-17:30, 3rd Nov 2009

Report of discussion

Climate - primary drivers and rationale for discussion

1. Need to raise profile of space, and space agencies in climate

2. Need to analyse ECV-by-ECV production of climate data for GCOS

3. Need to respond to new GCOS reports.4. Need to review relation to IPCC/UNFCCC etc.5. Overall, fulfill CEOS responsibility assigned to it

through e.g. GCOS, GEO T3 report - 'CEOS as coordinator of the implementation of the satellite components of GCOS'

Attendees

• NOAA, GTOS, NASA, NASA/SEO• CDTI, DLR, ASI, USGS, WMO/GCOS,• WGISS, WGCV, WGEDU, EUMETSAT,• EC/OCR-VC, ACC-VC, ESA, JAXA, KARI,• GEO, INPE, CEOS/CEO, GISTDA, CSIRO • In total around 32 warm bodies

1. Raise Profile of space/agencies in climate

• Space is critical to success of climate studies• Resources required for space agencies to fulfill role• Specific broader (non-GCOS) actions through e.g. FCT

already identified but resources an issue• Need to convince politicians of relation to space and of

consequent need to fund agencies appropriately

2. Analyse & produce ECV-by-ECV action plan

• Some data sets being addressed through e.g. SCOPE• Need to agree between agencies how to address other

ECVs identified in GCOS Satellite supplement • Also need to define relation of ECV production to other

CEOS resources and capacities (VCs, WGCV, WGISS etc.) and to capitalise on their skills

• As example, ESA identified some specific needs through Climate Change Initiative

3. Need to review latest GCOS Documents• Prepare inputs to GCOS IP Rev 2, under review, help in preparation of Satellite Supplement in due course - timing?

• Update document - CEOS Response to GCOS IP, and to Satellite supplement - timing?

• Review regular reports of Co-ordinator of Climate SBA: 59 Actions, on behalf of CEOS/SIT - not fully covered at SIT/Plenary

• Review current relation of CEOS to UNFCCC, inc. COP/SBSTA, and to IPCC

• Reinforce institutional relationship to GCOS

PossibleCEOS-GCOS Expert ToR:

• Review and oversee ECV-by-ECV space agency actions• Define relation of ECV production to other CEOS tasks (VCs, WGCV, WGISS etc.)

• Prepare inputs to GCOS IP Rev 2, under review• Update document - CEOS Response to GCOS requirements (and supplement when available)

• Work to strengthen GCOS position and resourcing• Review report of Co-ordinator of Climate SBA 59 Actions on behalf of CEOS/SIT• Review and manage relation of CEOS to UNFCCC/IPCC and to COP/SBSTA• Procedure ?:

– Meet biannually at occasion of SIT/Plenary– Review progress and existence with Plenary, after 3 years (Nov. 2012)

723rd CEOS Plenary I Phuket, Thailand I 3-5 November 2009

Proposed solutions from meeting

Different issues raised could be addressed by different, more flexible

mechanisms

1. ECV-by-ECV Analysis• recognised by all as the most critical task for coming period but needed to fulfill role of CEOS, set out in public docs.

• recognised need for coordination of space agency efforts to support all satellite ECVs, in progressive implementation, building on ongoing work and taking full account of CEOS VCs, WGs, etc.

• some reservations about proposed task force without full opportunity for consideration

• GCOS position not clear at meeting, apparently supportive of proposal (see GCOS presentation of yesterday and personal comments),

• others non-committal on implementation

1. ECV-by-ECV Analysis (ii)

• Conclusion:- investigate mechanisms via discussion SEO/EC/ESA/WMO (GCOS?)/SBA Co-ordinator+1-2 others tbd, ensuring cohesion with other CEOS mechanisms (VC, WG..)

- Propose to set up above team to discuss and report to SIT-25 (13-14, April 2010) for consideration

2. Response to GCOS publications/progammes• immediate need for comments on GCOS IP v2 - direct by agencies online/via SBA Co-ordinator, window Nov15th to end Jan 2010

• plus possible future meetings of ad hoc group to finalise CEOS inputs to forthcoming docs.

• near-future rewrites of Sat. Supplement, CEOS response co-ordinated by Climate SBA Co-ordinator

• need for further, broader support in substance and in principle to GCOS - individual agencies/all CEOS bodies, inc. Plenary

3. Raise profile of climate with respect to space agencies

• important political and resource-related task

• need to improve dialogue with, relation to and recognition by UNFCCC/IPCC etc.

• critical need for space observations for climate not disputed but additional resources not always appropriately available to agencies

• seen as high-level task in discussion, and hence should be addressed by Plenary/SIT in absence of other mechanism

4. Other tasks and solutions

• Review of SBA actions –continue to be carried out by SIT/Plenary, presented by Climate SBA Co-ordinator (“59 tasks”)

• Partnership with GCOS to be strengthened–- currently more difficult

• GCOS not attending CEOS meetings, represented by WMO

– in practice an increased trend towards multiple interfaces agencies with GCOS– support GCOS position with respect to sponsors and in terms of CEOS attendance