Given the immense nature of the global climate challenge, monitoring efforts will have to be increased in response. EUMETSAT is responsible for the planning, development and operation of operational European meteorological satellite systems, taking into account the climate-specific requirements of these planning processes for future satellite programmes as well as their supporting ground structure – including the future activities of the SAF network. These tasks are a major contribution of EUMETSAT in support of climate monitoring needs which are already reflected in the definition of the forthcoming EUMETSAT MTG and second generation EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) programmes.

Another major climate requirement concerns satellite sensors, where there is a need to ensure continuity of legacy data records.

• Meteosat imagery, Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, Advanced Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) Operational Vertical Sounder (ATOVS) and others
• the calibration, characterisation and stability of the sensors and all related requirements for processing Climate Data Records, both fundamental and thematic.

The future of EUMETSAT activities relating to climate monitoring, in particular the generation of Climate Data Records, is currently evolving in the context of an overall Implementation plan.

Activities are scheduled to unfold in two phases, starting with the 2010-2017 timeframe.

During this period, EUMETSAT will identify a suitable portfolio of data products and activities, including for example the generation of FCDR based on Meteosat as well as the preparation for FCDR generation from Metop sensors.

Subsequently, these activities must be consolidated and sustained. In this phase, EUMETSAT will also prepare for the optimal use of MTG data in climate-related areas.

Finally, this period will correspond to the implementation of the second Continuous Development and Operations Phase of the SAF network (CDOP-2), thus ensuring optimal coordination within EUMETSAT on climate-related issues and enabling the mobilisation of dedicated financial resources to support these activities.

The second phase is expected to start after 2017, when the operational phase of new EUMETSAT mandatory programmes (MTG and next generation EPS) begin. Moreover, the organisation will be in a position to generate long-term data sets covering more than 30 years of observations. At this time, the objective is to have a portfolio of sustained climate-related activities in EUMETSAT with their corresponding funding arrangements.

An important component of EUMETSAT’s response to the global challenge of climate change will be to reinforce and further extend the dialogue with the end users of climate data.