NSO signs on to Space Climate Observatory

Together with other countries, the Netherlands will make the most of Earth observation satellites for the purpose of monitoring- and mitigating climate change and responding to its consequences. This week in Oslo during the Global Space Conference on Climate Change (GLOC2023) NSO director Harm van de Wetering signed the charter on the establishment of the Space for Climate Observatory (SCO) in the presence of deptuty director of the French Space Agency CNES, Mr Lionel Suchet .

 

From left to right: Mrs Laurence Monnoyer-Smith, CNES Sustainable Development Director, Mr Lionel Suchet, CNES deputy director, Mr Harm van de Wetering, NSO director and Mrs Joanna Ruiter, NSO advisor sustainable devolopment. The SCO is an international initiative at the instigation of French President Macron. The goal is to support the development of operational tools to fully leverage the potential of satellite data together. This requires close cooperation amongst companies, institutes, and space agencies in the field of Earth observation to get an even better grip on the effects of climate change. A total of some 25 space agencies are now affiliated with the initiative, including ESA, France's CNES, Italy's ASI, India's ISRO, the Canadian Space Agency, Belgium's Belpso, and now the Netherlands Space Office as well.

 

Harm van de Wetering: " From the Netherlands, we have been playing a meaningful role worldwide in the field of satellite observations for climate for decades.Joining SCO initiative gives us even better access to important networks of experts and policy makers. Everyone understands the urgency of the climate problem. Only together can we make a difference, and together we have a fantastic toolbox in space in the form of satellites. We'd better use that as well and efficiently as possible.'