ESA and UNEP collaborate for a greener future

UNEP is the global programme of the United Nations (UN) and the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

UNEP’s dedication to global environmental issues, combined with ESA’s expertise in satellite technology and Earth observation, forges a strong alliance to shape a sustainable future for both our planet and society.

The new collaboration will leverage space-based solutions to address pressing environmental challenges, from climate change and environmental protection to pollution monitoring and disaster risk reduction.

The partnership will facilitate the co-development of innovative Earth observation solutions tackling high-priority topics such as the sustainable Green Transition, ecosystem accounting, nature capital valuation and early warning systems for the environment.

The collaboration also addresses interoperability aspects, including the integration of data from ESA’s Earth Explorer missions, Copernicus Sentinel satellites, together with ESA science and applications results onto UNEP’s platforms, such as the World Environment Situation Room.

ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, commented, “The collaboration between ESA and UNEP comes at a critical juncture when the world is grappling with the adverse impacts of climate change. Space technology offers a unique vantage point, providing comprehensive and real-time data crucial for informed decision-making.

“By combining forces, ESA and UNEP are poised to provide invaluable insights to policymakers, governments, and organisations, enabling them to formulate effective strategies for environmental conservation and sustainable development.”

The memorandum creates the perfect synergy to respond to the ambitious goals set by the historical international adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in December 2022. The GBF sets the pathway to reach the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050, and in full support to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, said, “The partnership between UNEP and ESA will strengthen UNEP’s capacity to deliver science-based, data-driven early warning systems for the environment.

“With ESA's innovative geospatial and space technologies, we can support more accurate policymaking, prevent social and economic losses, and boost the use of digital technologies to develop innovative solutions to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution. This can offer particular hope in addressing plastic pollution and implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework.”

The memorandum also compliments ESA’s partnerships with other UN bodies like Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and will pave the way for ESA’s Space for a Green Future Accelerator.

The accelerator, one of ESA’s Accelerators driving Europe’s innovation and the use of space to the global climate crisis, aims to develop practical space-based solutions to support carbon neutrality and the greening of society by 2050.

Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General, said, “ESA and UNEP share a common purpose and mission – to ensure a sustainable future for our planet. Past collaboration between our organisations has led to many fruitful developments and opportunities. Building on this long-standing cooperation, we aim to accelerate the use of space and Earth observation data and digital technology to achieve this common purpose and mission.”