ECMWF implements the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) on behalf of the European Union.
Why do we need climate information?
The Copernicus Climate Change Service, which cuts across all other Copernicus Services, delivers substantial economic value to Europe by:
- informing policy development to protect citizens from climate-related hazards such as high-impact weather events;
- improving the planning of mitigation and adaptation practices for key human and societal activities;
- promoting the development of new services for the benefit of society.
How is the information produced?
The Service builds upon and complements capabilities existing at national level and being developed through a number of climate-change research initiatives. It has become a major contribution from the European Union to the WMO Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) and its Climate Monitoring Architecture.
The Service provides comprehensive climate information covering a wide range of components of the Earth system (atmosphere, land, ocean, sea-ice and carbon) and timescales spanning decades to centuries (i.e. based on the instrumental record). It maximises the use of past, current and future Earth observations (from in-situ and satellite observing systems) in conjunction with modelling, supercomputing and networking capabilities. This conjunction will produce a consistent, comprehensive and credible description of the past, current and future climate.
What information does the Climate Change Service provide?
The Copernicus Climate Change Service combines observations of the climate system with the latest science to develop authoritative, quality-assured information about the past, current and future states of the climate in Europe and worldwide.
The portfolio of service products includes:
- Consistent estimates of multiple Essential Climate Variables
- Global and regional reanalyses (covering a comprehensive Earth system domain: atmosphere, ocean, land, carbon)
- Products based on observations alone (gridded; homogenised station series; reprocessed Climate Data Records)
- A near-real-time climate monitoring facility
- Multi-model seasonal forecasts
- Climate projections at global and regional scales
What is the information used for?
This wealth of climate information is the basis for generating a wide variety of climate indicators aimed at supporting adaptation and mitigation policies in Europe in a number of sectors, including:
- Water management
- Energy
- Agriculture and forestry
- Health
- Tourism
- Infrastructure
- Insurance
- Disaster risk reduction
- Transport
- Coastal areas
How is the information evaluated and communicated?
A continual and independent evaluation process ensures the integrity and traceability of the climate information underpinning the service. Effective evaluation and quality control ensure C3S represents the latest developments in climate science and that innovative service elements are introduced reflecting current research.
The C3S outreach strategy aims to ensure effective and consistent communication from the service elements to the users. It aims to promote the service to relevant bodies and create public awareness of the role of the Climate Change Service by developing educational resources and organising events to raise awareness of climate change issues.