Climate Change Monitoring

The European Union is currently spearheading comprehensive climate change monitoring through its flagship Copernicus Earth observation programme. This initiative, celebrating six years of its ‘Image of the Day’ feature and over 2,000 published images, provides open access to a continuous stream of vital satellite data and insights. Copernicus delivers crucial information on climate, atmosphere, land use, and environmental changes, directly supporting the EU’s climate and energy goals under the European Green Deal. The European Environment Agency (EEA) complements these efforts by publishing essential knowledge and evidence-based insights to shape sustainable EU policies.

This robust monitoring framework matters significantly for both citizens and businesses. For citizens, Copernicus data offers critical insights into the state of the planet, raises public awareness about environmental issues, and supports informed decision-making on climate action. New applications are transforming these insights, offering increased transparency regarding climate change impacts. Businesses benefit from this data for environmental management, understanding climate patterns, and ensuring sustainability, which is crucial for long-term planning and adherence to evolving EU policies.

Moving forward, the EU will continue to expand the capabilities of the Copernicus programme, leveraging its vast data collection to address future environmental challenges and reinforce evidence-based policy-making. The ongoing dissemination of vital climate and environmental insights will remain central to achieving sustainability in Europe. The focus will be on further integrating this wealth of information to strengthen climate neutrality goals and resource efficiency across the continent, ensuring a data-driven approach to a sustainable future.