Space4Climate worked closely with the UK Space Agency, UK Government departments and our members to showcase UK Earth Observation for climate and the exciting developments in climate research and innovations in climates services in the first ever Space Pavilion at a COP.
Updated 2024
Earth Observation’s crucial role in climate action was the focus of the 2023 world climate summit – COP28.
Cutting-edge and future climate data, satellite technology, climate services, tools, platforms for decision-makers and market-ready products were in the spotlight as nation delegations and negotiators focus on the first Global Stocktake and progress towards the Paris Agreement.
Space4Climate worked with the UK Space Agency, UK Government departments and our members to showcase UK Earth Observation for climate and the exciting developments in climate research and innovations in climates services in the first ever Space Pavilion at a COP.
With summer’s climate extremes at the top of the news agenda worldwide in the run-up to COP28, attention was turning to climate adaptation, mitigation, financing and adoption.
More than 80,000 delegates, including 140 heads of state and governments attended COP28 in Dubai, from November 30th-December 12th.
Earth Observation for COP discussions
COP stands for Conference of the Parties and each year the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) brings world leaders together at COP to review progress UN member countries have made to limit climate change and to negotiate new actions and targets in response to the latest scientific evidence. This is why trustworthy, reliable, consistent and sustainable environmental data is so important: they underpin the evidence, climate projections and priorities and many can only be gathered accurately from space.
COPs are hosted by different countries each year, alternating between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, this year The United Arab Emirates are hosting in Dubai.
Blue Zone and Green Zone
COP activities are divided into a Blue Zone, run by the UNFCCC for governments’ official delegations, negotiators and UNFCCC-accredited observers, and a Green Zone, for wider audiences and the general public. Blue Zone delegates have access to the Green Zone but Green Zone passes do not give access to the Blue Zone. In Dubai the two zones were immediately next to each other to encourage more Blue Zone delegation members to explore Green Zone exhibits and events as well. As we expected, the Green Zone attracted a high portion of attendees from industry.
Technology & Innovation Hub
Space4Climate was in the Green Zone, in the two-part Technology & Innovation Hub in the first ever COP Space Pavilion, which was hosted by the UAE Space Agency. Other hubs featured Decarbonisation, Knowledge, Youth and Emirati culture. Exhibitions were hosted by the private sector, civil society, youth groups and academia.
COP28 programme and themes
As hosts, UAE set daily themes for COP28 (below) which were also listed on www.cop28.com. Each day’s programming incorporated four cross-cutting themes seen as underpinning effective, interconnected delivery: Technology & Innovation, Inclusion, Frontline Communities and Finance. They will be reflected in the day’s programme and speakers.
In addition the UNFCCC designates an Earth Information Day within the conference, with world leaders sharing ambitions, achievements and science in the Blue Zone.
After the opening ceremony a two-day World Climate Action Summit took place in the Blue Zone. Formal negotiations on climate change and action take place over the two weeks of COPs and it is not unusual for this delicate process to run over the final day deadline before an agreed statement of commitments, ambitions and targets is published.
Space4Climate at COP28
As well as hosting a stand for the UK space climate community, Space4Climate presented four panel events including one in the UK Pavilion in the Blue Zone. We worked with our members and the UK Space Agency to form the panels of speakers, curate thought leadership discussions and put UK science and climate applications in the spotlight on behalf of the UK Earth Observation for climate community.
Our activities included:
- Showcasing members’ examples of climate services, products, tools and decision-support platforms applying trustworthy climate data from space to communities around the world, especially in least developed countries
- Raising awareness of the international influence of the UK Space Agency and EO for climate community, including through collaborations such as GEO (Group on Earth Observations) and CEOS (Community of Earth Observation Satellites)
- The impact of UK climate data from space, economic and societal benefits
- A new version of our Space4Climate App for display on the PufferTouch, presenting climate data visualisations and digital case studies from our members
- Digital communications campaigns highlighting the UK’s extensive expertise in Earth Observation for climate
- The benefits of locating space-enabled operations in the UK
- Opportunities for collaborations with UK academic institutions, the public and private sector
- Innovation in satellite Earth Observation for climate policy and action
- Demonstrating real world examples of achievements in the UK’s priority areas
- UK-led and involved climate satellite missions
- Contributing to activities and events in Dubai and the UK
- Delivering for our members and for the UK a legacy from COP28
UK’s COP28 priorities and activities in the UK Pavilion
The UK Pavilion in the Blue Zone focussed on showcasing innovative, clean growth businesses, market-ready products and services through the Department of Business and Trade (DBT). Other Government departments and selected organisations had the chance to host small side events or showcase their content (physical and digital) in the pavilion’s side room. These matched the UK’s Pavilion themes:
- Energy & Sector Transitions
- Resilience & Adaptation
- Forests & Nature
- Climate Finance
Space4Climate represented the UK Earth Observation community at COP26 with a large display in the Green Zone, the Space4Climate App of data visualisations and members’ case studies displayed on the PufferTouch in the Green Zone and in the Blue Zone on the UK Pavilion, and with members taking part in Blue Zone debates. This was also on display in the UK Pavilion at COP27 in Egypt with updated content. Follow Space4Climate on LinkedIn and on X (formerly Twitter) for updates on our COP28 activities.
