EGU26: connecting climate observations to climate action
The Ocean Remote Sensing session particularly illustrated this contrast. Researchers presented highly advanced methods combining multiple satellite technologies, validation systems and calibration techniques. The science was impressive, but the connection between these technical advances and their final use for climate action often remained unclear.
At one point, when the question on what in situ datasets were used for calibration and validation was raised, a researcher simply answered: “We take everything.” It was a revealing moment. The technical capacity is there. The challenge is coherence.
This fragmentation appeared repeatedly throughout the week. Whether discussing research infrastructures, satellite missions, climate services or data platforms, many speakers acknowledged that the climate observation ecosystem has become increasingly difficult to navigate, even for experts inside it. This is precisely where iClimateAction comes in.
The project, funded by the European Commission and jointly involving the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), aims to better understand the climate data value chain and identify where coordination, interoperability and collaboration can be strengthened. During my presentation, I explained that climate observations do not exist in isolation. They are part of a much broader system involving institutions, strategies, financing instruments, scientific infrastructures and governance frameworks. Yet this chain is far from seamless.
One of the core activities of iClimateAction is therefore to assess the entire value chain around Essential Climate Variables (ECVs): from observation collection and data management to accessibility, sharing and eventual use in policy and climate services. The project is looking at each ECV individually, trying to understand where gaps exist, where systems overlap and where fragmentation prevents climate information from reaching its full potential.
Several sessions also reinforced how important Essential Variable (EV) frameworks have become for coordinating global climate observations. Discussions around the emerging Essential Geodetic Variables framework raised important governance questions: who decides what is “essential”? And how do different scientific communities align?
GCOS has recently revised the ECV framework to simplify the structure, clarify concepts and improve transparency. The objective is not simply to maintain a list of variables, but to provide a shared reference point that helps coordinate scientific efforts and investments more effectively.
Another strong theme throughout EGU26 was the relationship between climate science and society. Some of the most inspiring discussions came from climate service initiatives working directly with local communities, particularly in cities. These projects combine climate observations with citizen-generated information and local knowledge to support adaptation strategies grounded in real societal needs. One speaker summarised this challenge perfectly:
A demand for adaptation is not a demand for data.
That sentence stayed resonated throughout the conference. Because in the end, climate observations only achieve their full value when they help societies make better decisions. And improving climate action is not only about collecting more data. It is about making systems work better together.
Collecting data is a prerequisite for climate action and this is where GCOS acts. But at the end, data only achieve their full value when they help societies make better decisions.
iClimateAction is a Horizon Europe project bringing GEO, WMO and GCOS together to strengthen the Essential Climate Variables data chain from science to services. For more information, visit the iClimateAction website.
