Government representatives from around the world gathered at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, 7–18 December, to negotiate a deal to restrict emissions of heat-trapping gases that drive climate change.
Also ESA is attending the conference – also known as COP15 as it will be the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – to present how satellites are playing an important role in observing the many aspects of our ever-changing planet.

The representatives are expected to decide on the future extent of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by working out a new international agreement before the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. The Protocol commits its signatories to reduce levels of greenhouse gas emissions by 5%, from 1990 levels, between 2008 and 2012.

To understand better how the carbon that mankind is injecting into the atmosphere finds its way into natural reservoirs in Earth’s oceans, land surfaces and vegetation, climate scientists use Earth observation satellites to obtain a global perspective.
ESA will maintain an exhibit throughout COP15 and host a special side event on Earth observation satellites and systematic global climate observations. These events will highlight the major contribution that the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme is now bringing, by assuring continuous global observations of many essential climate variables needed by the UNFCCC for the next 15–20 years.

Source: ESA