4th Meeting of CEOS-CGMS Working Group on Climate EUMETSAT, Darmstadt, Germany 5 – 7 March 2014 Carolin Richter, Director, GCOS Secretariat, GCOS Planning -Scoping of the Progress Report and the new Implementation Plan - Global Climate Observing System

Continuous improvement and assessment cycle

Milestones : Establishment of GCOS as an outcome of the Second World Climate Conference (1990) 1995: Plan for the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), Publication No. GCOS-14, GCOS Plan for Space-based Observations, Publication No. GCOS : Report on the Adequacy of the Global Climate Observing Systems – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Publication No. GCOS-48, COP-4, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2003: Second Report on the Adequacy of the Global Observing Systems for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC, Publication No. GCOS-82, COP- 9, Milan, Italy 2004: Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC, Publication No. GCOS-92, COP-10, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2006: Systematic Observation Requirements for Satellite-based Products for Climate – Supplemental Details to the Satellite-based Component of the Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC, Publication No. GCOS : Progress Report on the Implementation of the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC 2004–2008, Publication No. GCOS 129, COP-15, Copenhagen, Denmark 2010: Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC (2010 Update), Publication No. GCOS-138, COP-16, Cancun, Mexico 2011: Systematic Observation Requirements for Satellite-based Products for Climate Supplemental details to the satellite-based component of the Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC Update

How well are we doing in implementing a global observing system for climate ?

Essential Climate Variables

Continuous improvement and assessment cycle New Plan 2016 Variable Pool Data set generation & exploitation 2015 meeting all criteria emerging not feasible Heritage record

Scoping the Assessment Report How to report on ECVs? Scoping Report

ECV Information (Table prepared for TOPC Meeting)

ECV Template

GCOS Continuous Improvement & Assessment Cycle The GCOS programme has started the process for: a 2015 report on the progress and status of climate observation a new “Implementation Plan” in 2016, which should identify: −continuing and new requirements, including a restatement of the rationale for the list of ECVs and possible amendment of the list −the adequacy of present arrangements for meeting the requirements −the additional actions needed, with indicative costs, performance indicators and potential agents for implementation statements of specific requirements for products −from both in situ networks and the space-based component −and from integration of the data provided by both either embedded in the main Plan or as separate supplement(s)

Input to the new assessment Content will be based on various inputs, including from: 2011 WCRP Conference and 2013 SPARC Data Workshop 2013/2014 IPCC Fifth Assessment Report 2013/2014 national reporting to UNFCCC on systematic observation 2014 EUMETSAT/WCRP Climate Symposium WMO (GFCS, WIGOS), IOC (GOOS) and post-2015 GEO planning CEOS/CGMS/WMO initiatives (Architecture, Inventory of datasets) other assessments of requirements (GEO, ESA CCI) assessments by GCOS/WCRP panels dedicated GCOS workshops an open review

Road Map for 2014 to 2016 WCRP Conference 2011 Progress report COP21 COP22 COP20 New Plan August October For Public Review Draft of Finalisation Summer Finalisation SPARC Data Workshop 2013 IPCC AR5 2013/2014 UNFCCC National Reports GCOS AOPC TOPC OOPC GEO Work Plan Symposium (April 2014) WIGOS PlanningIOC GOOS Planning Space Architecture–ECV Inv. ESA CCIQA4ECVCORE-CLIMAX GCOS Adaptation Workshop 2013 GCOS GOFC-GOLD Mitigation Workshop (5-7 May 2014) WCRP-IPCC WG I Workshop (Sep 2014) GCOS-IPCC WG II and DRR Workshop (Nov 2014) WCRP WDAC (May 2014) Input to the Assessment CEOS-CGMS Response Report to SBSTA41 on status Report to SBSTA43 Submission of Progress Report Report to SBSTA45 Submission of new Plan EUMETSAT-WCRP Climate Symposium (Oct 2014)

Implementation Plan (what kind of observations are needed ?) (Excerpt)

What needs to be measured – by whom? (Excerpt)

Developed Countries: ‑ improved climate observation capabilities, ‑ limited progress in resolving financial issues related to long-term continuity Developing Countries: ‑ limited (in-situ) progress, with decline in some regions, ‑ capacity building support remains small in relation to needs Much remains to be done: GCOS Progress Report Satellite agencies : ‑ improved mission continuity and capability ‑ increasingly meeting climate needs Progress made, but: ‑ Many gaps persist, ‑ Continued int’l engagement needed for coordinated implementation and long-term continuity

Good progress with availability, quality and exploitation of data from satellites for climate purposes across the range of ECVs, from basic meteorological variables to radiation and atmospheric composition Good progress in general with in-situ meteorological networks, and support through the system improvement programme has helped maintaining a baseline; however, overall progress in developing countries has been limited GCOS Progress Report – Atmosphere Some specific issues persist (e.g., measurement of precipitation, clouds, snow depth; precipitation data exchange; sunshine obs; metadata) Good progress in advancing climate reference networks Improved planning and progress with implementation of atmospheric composition networks meeting climate needs

Useful progress in almost every action called for in the Plan, but many actions remain incomplete. The ice-free upper 1500 m of the ocean are being observed systematically for temperature and salinity for the first time in history. Most in-situ networks have made progress (e.g., tide gauges, moored reference sites, tropical moored arrays, full ocean depth observations) Most in-situ observing activities continue to be carried out under research agency support and on research programme time limits. Important progress in provision of critical ocean satellite data of sea surface ECVs has been made, but not for all variables, and data access remains to be ensured. Important progress in development of historical ocean reanalysis and in high resolution ocean forecasting capabilities. Promising developments in improved methods and standards will allow wider measurement of biological and chemical ECVs and consideration of new ECVs in the years ahead. Data sharing remains incomplete, particularly for tide gauges and biogeochemical ECVs. Data archaeology needs to continue. GCOS Progress Report – Oceans

GCOS Progress Report Terrestrial Increasing significance and recognition of terrestrial data for climate change adaptation and impact studies Good progress in defining standards for observation of terrestrial variables Slow take-up of institutional support for terrestrial climate observations has limited some in-situ progress Networks dealt with by research community show some good progress Progress towards establishment of Global Terrestrial Networks (GTN) for many of the ECV’s Good engagement of satellite needs including product development, reprocessing and continuity