The GEO Global Forum in Rome that took place 5-9 May marked the first opportunity to introduce iClimateAction to a wide Earth Observation (EO) community. Representatives of the project engaged in person with key stakeholders to share the project's vision and initiate dialogue around common goals.
Launched in March 2025, iClimateAction - a project funded by the European Commission and led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) - has been built on one guiding principle: that meaningful climate action depends on meaningful collaboration, especially when it comes to addressing the fragmentation of Earth Observation (EO) systems and strengthening global coordination.
The intent was to build momentum towards the need for more coordinated climate monitoring to better inform decision makers. IClimateAction was featured on several occasions during the 5-day Forum, which brought together over 700 participants including scientists, government officials, heads of intergovernmental organizations and private sector leaders, representing nearly 100 countries.
This included an information session, attended by strategic partners, members of the Project Oversight Committee (POC) and Stakeholders Advisory Panel (SAP) 1 , where the various components of the project were presented. Opportunities for synergies were also identified, such as how Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) can support city officials in planning for and adapting to heatwaves.
At the European Commission booth, the iClimateAction's team joined two other European projects for a presentation on how to make better use of Essential Climate Variables - from observation to application - to support climate services and strengthen carbon markets.
In his opening remarks at the Plenary session, the Director General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Marc Lemaître, referenced iClimateAction as an example of how the European Union's commitment to international collaboration is being applied in practice.
This first introduction of iClimateAction to the EO community is part of an ongoing collaborative dialogue that will continue to evolve as the project moves forward. By supporting the joint efforts of GCOS , GEO , and WMO to build a more standardized, open, accessible, and interoperable global observing system for ECVs, iClimateAction aims to help unlock the full potential of Earth Observation data in support to decision-making - for science, climate services and policy.
