International Astronautical Federation

Group on Earth Observations – GEO Week 2023

Statement of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF)

By Dr. Christian FEICHTINGER, IAF Executive Director

Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to address the GEO Ministerial Summit on behalf of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) the contributions by IAF to GEO/GEOSS and its future.

First, as a GEO Participating Organization since 2014, IAF congratulates the efforts of GEO Members and Participating Organizations in finalizing the GEO Strategic Plan and supports the post-2025 strategy focusing on “Earth Intelligence for All”.

Second, as the world’s leading and most diverse space advocacy organisation with 523 members from 75 countries including all major space agencies, industry, research institution societies and associations worldwide, the IAF is proud to contribute to strengthening the advocacy and role to promote GEO’s key objectives - including areas such as climate change and disaster management – to stakeholders around the world.  

The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) together with its Member - the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA), launched the first-of-its-kind IAF Global Conference on Climate Change (GLOC 2023) which was held in May 2023 in Oslo, Norway and contributed to the global efforts to better understand climate change, its nature, processes and consequences, and battle the most pressing global challenges through the use of space-based services and applications and cross-sector collaboration,

The success of the conference was fundamentally rooted in the mission of tapping into collective experience, insights, and wisdom by involving all stakeholders such as space agencies, industry leaders, policymakers, the civil society, the scientific community, academia, the Next Generation and media.

The International Programme Committee, speakers and delegates of GLOC 2023 recognized the importance of uniting the global space community's efforts to tackle climate change and sharing Earth observation data with everyone who wishes to engage in climate and environmental research. This implies common standards for metadata and data sharing, as well as global coordination of how to ensure access to data and their continuity.

Additionally, capacity building should also be used as an awareness tool by including information about and developing low cost and small-scale initiatives.

New business models favoring a more cooperative approach to the sharing of data, especially for those countries lacking the proper regulatory framework, should be explored.

Also, as many stakeholders as possible should be involved in acquiring, processing and interpreting Earth observation data. This will enhance knowledge, lend legitimacy, and strengthen the way for taking effective actions on a global scale.

Finally, a partnership between science and policymakers must be forged at multiple levels to improve communication and understanding of processes, relationships, needs and products in climate change science.

GLOC 2023 turned into an inescapable reference for climate resilience and demonstrated in a clear and effective way that only through improved relationships and effective communication fora, we will ensure that these objectives are met and delivered for the benefit of humanity.

To conclude, for the finalization of the 10-year Strategic Plan, the engagement of all stakeholders is crucial, and therefore IAF is proud to offer the ideal platform for this purpose.

Thank you.