Turning space data into climate action

A key area of focus at Farnborough was the crucial role of space in the renewed global drive to tackle the climate crisis.

European Earth observation missions are delivering unprecedented insight into the long-term changes impacting the planet.

The UK is playing a leading role in several upcoming remote sensing missions, such as Biomass – which will provide crucial information about how the world’s forests are changing – and Truths, which will support climate research by calibrating environmental data from other satellites.

The Forum mission – set to yield unique insight into the planet’s radiation budget and how it is controlled – is also being developed with strong British contributions.

ESA’s Climate Office – located at the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) in the UK – is the focal point for the agency’s climate-related activities, coordinating the development of information that is enabling governments, businesses and communities to take action to cut planet-warming emissions.

Visitors to ESA’s stand at the UK Space Pavilion in Farnborough’s Space Zone were able to witness the impact of climate change through the eyes of Earth observing satellites, thanks to a web app called Climate from Space.