GEOSEC Newsletter – February 2025

Home/
News/
GEOSEC Newsletter – February 2025

Celebrating our collective progress and partnerships.

In this newsletter, we recap key events and achievements from the GEO Secretariat over the past few months.

All updates have been posted on our social channels (Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram) and website. Be sure to follow to stay up to date.

Our social media accounts have more than 40,000 followers combined, and GEO content has organically reached more than 100,000 people over the past three months.

Reach out to mcrook.ext@geosec.org to discuss promoting your work across GEO digital channels.

Showcasing Earth Intelligence at the World Economic Forum

GEO had a strong presence at WEF 2025. Through high-level meetings and strategic engagements, GEO strengthened its role as a bridge between cutting-edge technology and policy solutions, advancing discussions on climate resilience, sustainability and funding for critical initiatives.

Highlights included:

• Exploring collaboration on AI-powered climate models, flood and groundwater mapping and using Earth observations for climate risk assessments.
• High-profile engagements in two WEF sessions: "Accelerating Business Action for Nature" and "Seeing Earth, Deeply”. • Engaging in discussions on integrating Earth observation services into key sectors, including insurance, finance and climate resilience. These conversations aligned with the findings of the WEF report on the value of Earth observations, which highlighted the economic and societal benefits across industries.

Additionally, through the GEO Secretariat’s engagement with the WEF Earth observations community, the latest publication of the Executive’s Playbook and library of use cases now feature case studies from GEOGLOWS and GEOGLAM, demonstrating real-world applications of GEO initiatives.

📺 Watch Yana’s presentation at WEF on Seeing Earth, Deeply 📰 Read Yana’s op-ed AI alone won’t save the planet, which has been distributed and picked up by news publishers all over the world.

Launch of the Global Ecosystems Atlas at CBD COP16

🌍 A game-changer for biodiversity: GEO unveiled the proof-of-concept for the Global Ecosystems Atlas at CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia, at an event attended by government ministers, and heads of global organisations and agencies.

This open, online resource integrates high-quality ecosystem maps to support conservation decisions worldwide.

📺 Watch the press conference 🎥 Watch side event videos 🎥 Watch the Atlas walkthrough 📄 Read our full report from CBD COP16 🗺️ See the Global Ecosystems Atlas

Advancing land restoration and drought resilience at UNCCD COP16

The GEO Secretariat and GEO-LDN had an impactful presence at UNCCD COP16, with a busy pavilion and participation in several high-profile events in Riyadh, including a High-level Dialogue and an official Atlas side event.

Announced at COP16 was a partnership between GEO-LDN and the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) to host the 2025 Global Dialogue Forum for Pacific SIDS, fostering peer exchange and support for achieving land degradation neutrality targets.

📺 Watch the High-Level Dialogue 📄 Read our full report from UNCCD COP16

Reflections from COP29

At COP29’s Earth Information Day, GEO presented the TEC-GEO policy brief, highlighting EO-based solutions for Early Warnings for All (EW4All).

Furthermore, the Research and Systematic Observation (RSO) conclusions echoed GEO’s call for open data-sharing and fit-for-purpose EO technologies.

These results validate GEO’s Post-2025 Strategy and our mission of advancing Earth Intelligence for All.

📺 Watch Yana’s address to delegates on Earth Information Day 📄 Read our full report from COP29

Welcoming David Patterson as Climate and Biodiversity Coordinator

Meet David Patterson, GEO’s new Climate and Biodiversity Coordinator! With deep expertise in conservation and geospatial technologies, David will lead initiatives like the Global Ecosystems Atlas and drive progress in biodiversity and climate solutions.

👏 Read the announcement here.

New GEO videos

Two new promotional videos, created in collaboration with the GEO Secretariat, highlight the essential work of GEO-LDN and GEOGLOWS.

The first video focuses on the challenges of coastal erosion in Ghana, highlighting how collaboration with GEO-LDN supports monitoring shoreline changes, rehabilitating degraded land and restoring ecosystems to improve resilience and productivity. 📺 Watch here

The second video explores the role of GEOGLOWS in addressing water scarcity in Ecuador, where hydrological modelling supports irrigation projects, risk management and decision-making. 📺 Watch here

Celebrating 20 years of Earth Intelligence

Did you know? This year marks 20 years of GEO! Since 2005, GEO has been at the forefront of using Earth Intelligence to address global challenges. Throughout 2025, the GEO Secretariat will reflect on and celebrate two decades of innovation, collaboration and impact.

ℹ️ Find out more about 20 years of GEO 🍃Brand Assets | GEO Global Forum 2025 | GEO to use in your own communications activities

Get on brand

The new GEO Brand Book is available now. It is an essential resource for the whole GEO community, with clear guidelines to ensure consistency and professionalism in representing GEO’s mission and work.

To further support the community, we now also offer a "What is GEO?" presentation – a powerful tool for explaining GEO, what we do and the value we bring as a community.

📓 Access the brand book ❓ Get the What is GEO? presentation

Save the date: GEO Global Forum 2025 | 5–9 May 2025 | Rome, Italy

Join us in Rome for the GEO Global Forum (formerly GEO Week). This event will bring together global policymakers, innovators and industry leaders to advance GEO’s Post-2025 Strategy.

🗓️ Register here