23 August 2022
06 April 2020
The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) was established in 1992 to ensure that the observations and information required to address climate-related issues are obtained and made available to all potential users.
The intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is leading a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
CEOS
CEOS
CEOS is comprised of Members (most of which are space agencies) and Associates (associated national and international organisations). CEOS is recognised as the major, international forum for the coordination of Earth observation satellite programmes and for the interaction of these programmes with users of satellite data worldwide.
Our role
EUMETSAT has been a Member of CEOS since 1989 and is mainly leading its activities in the field of the CEOS constellation discussions on ocean surface topography, ocean surface wind, ocean colour, atmospheric monitoring and climate.
EUMETSAT was instrumental in the creation of the CEOS-CGMS Working Group on Climate and in charge of implementing the global architecture for climate monitoring from space, jointly developed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), CEOS and the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS).
GCOS
GCOS
The vision of GCOS is that all users have access to the climate observations, data records and information, which they require to address pressing climate-related concerns. GCOS users include individuals, national and international organisations, institutions and agencies.
The GCOS programme provides an operational framework for integrating and enhancing the observational systems of participating countries and organisations into a comprehensive system focused on the requirements of climate issues.
The programme does not directly make observations or generate data products. As a system of climate-relevant observing systems, it constitutes the climate observing component of the WMO Global Observing System (GOS) and a contribution to GEOSS).
GCOS includes both in-situ and remote-sensing components, with its space-based components coordinated by the CEOS and CGMS.
Our role
EUMETSAT supports GCOS activities with the production of accurately calibrated and homogenised observations (fundamental climate data records) from its Metop, Meteosat and Jason satellites, contributing to more than half of the GCOS essential climate variables.
GEO
GEO
The group is a voluntary partnership of governments and international organisations. Current membership includes 96 governments and the European Commission (EC), as well as 87 intergovernmental, international and regional organisations which have “Participating Organisation” status (including EUMETSAT).
GEO provides a framework within which these entities can coordinate to develop new projects and work towards the key objective of the group: global access to affordable Earth observation data, which is being implemented through the creation of GEOSS. The GEO Ministerial meeting of November 2015 endorsed a new GEO Strategic Plan for 2016-2025.
Our role
EUMETSAT is contributing to GEOSS through the development of the GEONETCast infrastructure, with systems developed in cooperation with the CMA, NOAA and INPE.
A number of capacity-building or research projects are relying on the GEONETCast infrastructure to develop new operational services: e.g. the AMESD, MESA, PUMA and DAWBEE projects, as well as a number of FP7 and H2020 projects.
EUMETSAT also contributes to GEOSS through its activities within the CEOS and CGMS groups.
