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    ESA > Our Activities > Observing the Earth > Space for our climate

    ESA's Climate Change Initiative (CCI)

    Climate change is arguably the greatest challenge facing mankind in the twenty-first century. Observations from space provide unique information which greatly assists the successful understanding and management of climate change.

    ESA's Climate Change Initiative (CCI) is making full use of Europe’s Earth observation space assets to exploit robust long-term global records of essential climate variables, such as greenhouse-gas concentrations, sea-ice extent and thickness, and sea-surface temperature and salinity.

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    Focus on...

    Climate – the hot topic in Doha 

    Climate – the hot topic in Doha ESA joined international delegates in Doha, Qatar, to discuss how satellite observations show our planet’s most sensitive areas reacting to climate change – and how this information is useful to the people living there.

    Latest news

    Clearest evidence yet of polar ice losses 

    Clearest evidence yet of polar ice losses After two decades of satellite observations, an international team of experts brought together by ESA and NASA has produced the most accurate assessment of ice losses from Antarctica and Greenland to date. This study finds that the combined rate of ic...

    Southeastern Brazil

    Earth observation for us and our planet 

    Southeastern Brazil

    Earth observation for us and our planet The Rio+20 summit on promoting jobs, clean energy and a more sustainable use of our planet’s resources closed today after three days of talks. During the summit, the role of Earth observation in sustainable development was highlighted.

    Signs of thawing permafrost revealed from space 

    Signs of thawing permafrost revealed from space Satellite are seeing changes in land surfaces in high detail at northern latitudes, indicating thawing permafrost. This releases greenhouse gases into parts of the Arctic, exacerbating the effects of climate change.

    Last update: 7 December 2012

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