NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) joined forces on Tuesday (July 13) in the fight against climate change, a move they said paves the way for a global response to the problem.
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“To ensure that data from Earth-observing satellites are used to the greatest possible advantage and, ultimately, bring the greatest benefit to humanity, ESA and NASA have established a strategic partnership on Earth science and climate change,” ESA says in its statement on the matter.
The partnership was formalized on Tuesday with a statement of intent signed by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
This aims to "pave the way for a global response to climate change, through monitoring the Earth and its environment with combined efforts in Earth observations, research and applications," the statement said.
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The American and European space agencies have already collaborated on environmental issues, notably in the Copernicus Sentinel-6 program, in which satellites monitor changes – in sea level – that will disrupt tens of millions of lives within a generation.
"Without a doubt, space is the best asset for measuring and monitoring climate change, but joining forces is also key to addressing this global issue," said ESA's Aschbacher.
"That's why today's agreement between our organizations is so critical," he added.
The COP26 climate conference in November will provide an opportunity "to make space an integral part of the solution in terms of mitigating climate change," he said.
"Climate change is a global challenge that requires us to act now," said NASA Administrator Nelson.
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"NASA and ESA are leading the way in space, creating an unprecedented strategic partnership in Earth science," he added in the statement.
Source of information: euractiv.com
