The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) has, over the past four decades, significantly contributed to the advancement of global space-based Earth observation (EO) efforts. The 67 members and associates of CEOS communicate, collaborate, and exchange information on EO activities, spurring useful partnerships and outputs that respond to stakeholder needs. CEOS played an influential role in the establishment and ongoing development of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Work Programme activities. Through major investments made by its member Agencies, and through engaging with and enabling commercial and non-government satellite operators, CEOS continues to advance the provision of space-based data in support of civil Earth observation efforts worldwide.

CEOS Agencies work together on collaborative missions and initiatives, and such cooperative efforts have highly benefitted users around the world. CEOS provides an established means of communicating with external organisations, enabling Agencies to collectively understand and act upon stakeholder needs in promoting the use of EO data, facilitating international cooperation, and fostering innovation. This important collaboration continues to help address key global challenges including disaster response, resource management, food security, biodiversity and environmental resilience.

Coordinated access to satellite EO data remains central to the successful delivery of GEO’s vision for Earth intelligence. Satellites provide a truly comprehensive view of the planet through global coverage, regular updates, and the diverse array of data and measurements required to better understand a wide range of complex processes. Satellite EO data provides unique value and is also key to unlocking the value of non-satellite data, including from in situ networks.

In addition to supporting the collection and use of satellite Earth observations, CEOS continues to lower technical barriers through fundamental work in information systems, data quality assurance, calibration and validation, and interoperability. This work is essential to ensure that data from government and commercial satellite systems can be readily integrated and that technologies such as Artificial Intelligence can be responsibly exploited to provide trusted insights upon which users can rely. Thus, the recommendations provided in the CEOS Interoperability Handbook 2.0 help in enhancing Interoperability of data and services between different Earth Observation stakeholders. The Maturity Matrix (under development) will help data and service providers to measure the level of interoperability of data and services in their organisations. 

Moreover, through its global leadership on Analysis Ready Data (ARD), CEOS is working to expand access to high-quality, interoperable, trusted, and easy-to-use EO datasets worldwide. In that regard, an updated Future CEOS ARD Strategy, to be tabled at CEOS’s Plenary in November, will aim to further expand access to high-quality Earth observation datasets from government and non-government sources, promote consistency across platforms, and accelerate the adoption of data in diverse applications, empowering users worldwide to make informed decisions based on reliable satellite data.

CEOS remains an active member of the GEO Programme Board and an observer to the GEO Executive Committee. CEOS Agencies continue to contribute extensively to the GEO Work Programme, as has been the case since GEO’s inception. In the Post-2025 GEO Work Programme, CEOS Agencies are listed as a partner or contributor to multiple GEO activities, including GFOI, GEOGLAM, GEO-LDN, GSNL, Digital Earth Africa, and Digital Earth Pacific. Following years of close collaboration with GEO BON colleagues, and building on the foundation established through the CEOS Biodiversity Study Team (BST), CEOS endorsed at SIT-41 the creation of a dedicated Biodiversity Virtual Constellation (B-VC), further strengthening CEOS contributions to biodiversity observation and reinforcing support to this complex and dynamic GEO priority area. CEOS members and associates remain deeply engaged across many dimensions of the GEO Work Programme as data providers, scientific partners, and technology enablers.

CEOS contributions to GEO activities are also supported by the efforts carried out in relation to the theme “Positioning for success in a rapidly changing context” put forward for 2026 by the Australian CEOS Chair team. Under this theme, the CEOS Chair will bring environmental adaptation and resilience into focus, including through the development of the 2026 CEOS EO Handbook for COP31. Likewise, the NASA CEOS Strategic Implementation Team (SIT) Chair priorities for 2026–2028 focus on “Water Planet – Seeing Earth’s Water from Space” and “Connected Data for Community Resilience”. These priorities reflect CEOS’s commitment to strengthening integrated Earth observation capabilities, advancing water-related applications, improving data interoperability, and enabling actionable information to support resilience across all scales. CEOS looks forward to these priorities complementing GEO’s mission and informing collaborative contributions to shared global objectives.

CEOS also recognises the importance of engaging youth as a critical investment in the future of Earth observation. Building on the “CEOS in Schools” initiative, CEOS carries on with “CEOS Youth” activities and sees strong potential for collaboration with GEO Youth initiatives, including through the sharing of knowledge, materials, and capacity-building resources via mechanisms such as the GEO Knowledge Hub.

CEOS remains committed to contributing to the priorities, goals, and objectives of GEO, and welcomes ongoing structured dialogue with the GEO community. CEOS looks forward to continuing and expanding mutual collaboration with GEO across its flagships, initiatives, enabling mechanisms, and knowledge platforms in support of a more informed, resilient, and sustainable future.