Space research: New working partnership between the European Commission and the European Space Agency formalised

With human activity leaving its indelible mark on the landscape and affecting the climate, our natural world is changing faster than at any other time in history.

Science and innovation is fundamental to understanding environmental change and is an enabler for reaching key political objectives like the European Green Deal.

To ensure a more efficient approach on Earth-system science and to bring direct benefits to society, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research & Innovation and the European Space Agency are working to join forces.

On 22 January, Patrick Child, Deputy Director-General of DG R&I and Josef Aschbacher, Director of the ESA Earth Observation Programmes, signed a Working Arrangement to address global challenges affecting society such as climate change, increasing pressures on critical resources such as fresh water or food systems, environmental pollution and its impacts on health and biodiversity, extreme events and natural disasters or the major anthropogenic pressures and natural changes affecting the sustainability of the marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

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Commission and European Space Agency plan Earth-system science initiative to address critical e [...] challenges