Three ECMWF Directors participated in person and remotely in the UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024, also known as the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the UNFCCC.
Director-General Florence Rabier explained ECMWF’s contribution to the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF), a landmark UN initiative to promote the development of systematic land-based weather observations in data-sparse areas.
The Director of the EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), Laurence Rouil, took part in several sessions, where she set out the work of the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), which is also run by ECMWF, as well as of CAMS.
The Director for the EU’s Destination Earth initiative at ECMWF, Irina Sandu, spoke about the digital twins on Climate Change Adaptation and Weather-Induced Extremes, which ECMWF is responsible for developing.
SOFF
Florence, who appeared in a recorded video message at the SOFF event, said ECMWF had designed a special high-resolution dataset of weather forecasts that it had so far made available in real time to 37 countries.
SOFF aims to improve the network of weather observations in those countries. “With a better network of weather observations, we know we can improve the global weather forecasts that we and other centres produce,” Florence said.
“This provides the basis for making more accurate local weather forecasts, which in turn help authorities and businesses plan intervention, mobilise resources and quickly react to extreme events to mitigate their negative effects.”
Florence spoke in a video message at the SOFF event (22:41–25:27).
More details about ECMWF’s involvement in SOFF can be found in a previous web article.
Copernicus services
Laurence took part in a breakout discussion during the UNFCCC Earth Information Day on 11 November; a session providing updates on Japan’s greenhouse gas monitoring programme on 14 November; a session organised by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) on tools for climate change adaptation and mitigation on 16 November; and a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) event on Earth observations in support of climate mitigation and adaptation on 16 November.
At the UfM event, Laurence gave a presentation on ‘Enhancing Climate Resilience through Regional Air Quality and Climate Monitoring Solutions’. She said air quality and climate change were entangled in the Mediterranean region, mentioning hot conditions, ozone, wildfires, and Saharan dust.
Laurence (right) gave a presentation on air quality and climate issues in the Mediterranean region (33:40–40:53).
“One of the main challenges we face is how to create added-value data and information that can be directly useful,” she said.
She pointed out two aspects of the work of the Copernicus services run by ECMWF: better anticipating climate and air pollution developments, and looking back at past developments through climate and atmospheric composition reanalysis.
Destination Earth
Irina joined a discussion on digital twins of Earth via video link during a Nordic Co-operation event. She pointed out that Destination Earth (DestinE) brings together observations and simulations of Earth system processes, making use of EU supercomputers.
“Why are we creating these digital twins of the Earth system? Because we want to create a unique capability to explore ‘what if’ questions and ‘what if’ scenarios that help us to better respond and adapt to climate change and extreme events,” she said.
Irina showed a simulation which demonstrated the fine scale at which the Climate Change Adaptation Digital Twin operates.
She explained that DestinE, which is currently transitioning towards operations, also runs a Weather-Induced Extremes Digital Twin, which provides information on severe weather events just a few days ahead.
Irina’s presentation focused on the way Destination Earth creates digital replicas of Earth (4:25:55–4:31:41).
Next climate change conference
The next UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP30) will convene in November 2025 in Belém, Brazil.