2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29)

UNFCCC and GEO Launch Policy Brief to Bolster Climate Resilience with Early Warning Technologies

BAKU - With climate-related hazards affecting billions of people globally and the frequency of extreme weather events continuing to increase, urgent action is needed to protect vulnerable communities. At Earth Information Day of COP29 in Baku, the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) launched a new policy brief that offers a pathway for countries to navigate the complexities of responding to interconnected planetary crises.

The executive summary of the policy brief with the key messages and recommendations by the TEC to COP is now available in all official UN languages on the TEC and GEO websites.

Titled “Realising Early Warnings for All: Innovation and Technology in Support of Risk-Informed Climate Resilience Policy and Action,” the document highlights the transformative role of such technologies, from Earth observation satellites to Artificial Intelligence (AI), in supporting global climate resilience and disaster preparedness efforts.

TEC Chair Thibyan Ibrahim emphasised the critical nature of the brief’s findings: “Communities most vulnerable to climate impacts need access to reliable, locally tailored data to protect lives and ecosystems. By integrating Earth observations, AI and other digital technologies, we can strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) to save lives and mitigate disaster impacts.”

The policy brief points out that access to climate information and disaster risk knowledge is uneven, especially in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, where climate threats are severe. Many of these regions lack the essential data and tools needed for effective MHEWS, reducing their ability to prepare for and respond to climate emergencies.

As part of the brief’s recommendations, governments are urged to integrate a mix of high- and low-tech solutions for early warning systems into climate strategies. This includes ensuring coordinated funding and prioritising investments in scalable technologies like AI and mobile tech to build resilience.

Engaging local communities through technology and empowering citizen scientists can make early warning systems more responsive, while strengthening technical skills among diverse stakeholders enhances adaptation efforts.

Yana Gevorgyan, Director of the GEO Secretariat, highlighted the crucial role of combining local disaster risk knowledge with technology. “When we integrate data from local sources with Earth Observations and AI, we can transform early warning systems,” Gevorgyan explained. At GEO, we are convinced that Earth Intelligence can make early warnings accurate, timely, and tailored to the unique needs of each community, making them truly effective and accessible for those who are most vulnerable."

About the Group on Earth Observations:

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO), hosted by the World Meteorological Organisation, is a global collaboration of 116 governments and 162 organisations dedicated to understanding our Earth in all its complexity. As a collaborative intergovernmental body, GEO is dedicated to co-producing user-driven Earth Intelligence solutions. By collecting and sharing vital information, ranging from satellite images of forests to oceanic temperature readings and beyond, GEO provides a comprehensive view of the Earth system, allowing us to monitor and safeguard its health.

About the UNFCCC Technology Executive Committee:

The Technology Executive Committee (TEC) is the policy arm of the UNFCCC’s Technology Mechanism. It focuses on identifying policies that can accelerate the development and transfer of low-emission and climate resilient technologies. The TEC plays a key role in supporting countries to identify climate technology policies that support them to achieve the Paris Agreement’s objectives. Each year the TEC reports to the Conference of the Parties (COP) on its analyses of climate technology issues and develops balanced policy recommendations, supporting countries to accelerate action on climate change.