Green & Sustainable Societies

The European Green Deal commits Europe to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, with the European economy producing a NetZero output of greenhouse gas emissions and paving the way for a sustainable future.

NetZero is increasingly recognised as an existential question for Europe and the world, with over 70 countries worldwide setting NetZero targets within this century. Dry riverbeds, the melting Arctic ice caps, the rise of sea levels, and extreme weather events are increasingly impacting societies and citizens, while the global biosphere, notably rainforests and oceans, are at risk of biodiversity loss, and long-term degradation.

Space is instrumental, not only to monitor the climate crisis, but also to act and offer solutions for mitigation and adaptation of future-proof sustainable societies, notably in gaps and challenges identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Today European satellites (notably the Copernicus Programme) are instrumental in assessing more than half of the 50 essential climate variables – parameters critically contributing to understanding our planet’s climate. A capability increasingly relevant in a moment where 3.5 billion people globally are highly vulnerable to climate change as reported by the IPCC. Moreover, European meteorological satellites (e.g., Meteosat, Metop), provide Europe with world-leading infrastructure and data contributing to ever increasingly accurate weather nowcasting and forecasting, helping to protect lives and infrastructure. Yet, more needs to be done to ensure meteorology, Earth observation, PNT, and telecommunication systems are at the core of future sustainable solutions for enabling smart cities, employing clean, reliable and affordable energy, facilitating water management, implementing green mobility plans, and increasing the efficiency of the Common Agricultural Policy.

ESPI will actively support European, national and regional stakeholders in activities linking space with climate and sustainability policies, including the European Green Deal, and national energy and climate plans, promoting the shift beyond monitoring to more action and mitigation.

Our aim is to ensure that Europe is at the forefront of using space solutions and technologies for climate change monitoring, mitigation and adaptation.

Moreover, to accelerate and reinforce these efforts, ESPI will establish and host a Centre of Excellence for Space and Sustainability together with the Austrian Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK), its founding member, and other partners.

As part of the Green and Sustainable Societies agenda, ESPI will facilitate:

• An increased role for space in the European Green Deal and in National Green Transition.
• An increased role for space in support of the UN Sustainable Development.
• Tailored evolution of capabilities in support of Green Deal policy objectives, and targets set forth by the Paris.
• Federated and user-driven advancement of space services for energy, digital, mobility and agriculture.
• Development of disruptive future technologies and infrastructures that can accelerate the attainment of NetZero targets, such as space based solar.
• The creation of links between NetZero-geared financing sources and space solutions and space infrastructure.
• A decrease in the environmental impact of the space sector and individual space.