OECD

1. The Global Observing System for Climate
Paris and evolving
requirements of the global
climate observing system
Simon Eggleston
GCOS Secretariat

2. GCOS Implementation Plan
• Since 1992 GCOS has worked with the UNFCCC to improve global
climate monitoring
• In 2016 the UNFCCC welcomed the latest 2016 implementation plan
and
• Encouraged Parties to work towards the full implementation of the
implementation plan
• Invited UN agencies and international organizations to support its full
implementation
• Emphasized the need to maintain, strengthen and build capacities
• Emphasized the need to build capacity in developing countries through
existing relevant mechanisms, including the Global Climate Observing
System Cooperation Mechanism
• The SBSTA noted the need for regional workshops and invited the GCOS to
organize such workshops
• The SBSTA encouraged Parties and relevant organizations to take advantage
of support available … to support the implementation of the GCOS IP 2016.

3. Sensing
•Observation of the
Earth System
Data Records
•Preparation of Climate
Data records
•Archiving,
•Reanalysis,
•Production of long
datasets
Delivery of
Services
•Delivery of targeted
information for
specific applications or
to inform decisions
Decision Making
and
Implementation
•Implement actions
based on the
information
From observations to implementation
Feedback from users

4. Observe
• WMO
• GCOS
• CEOS
Research
• WCRP
• IAMC
• Future
Earth
• PROVIA
Assess
Knowledge
• IPCC
Climate
Services
• GFCS
• WCSP
Adaptation and
Mitigation
Workstreams
• NAPs, NDCs
• Loss & Damage
• …
SBSTA
• Research
• Systematic
Observations COP/CMA Global
Stocktake
• Assess collective
progress on
implementation
of Paris
Agreement
• Assess adequacy
of agreed
warming limit
UNFCCC
ECV Inventory, Indicators, IG3IS
GCOS Implementation Plan
Regional Workshops
WMO State of the Environment
Global Average
Temperature Other Services
AR6,
SR1.5,
SROCC,
SRCCL,
SCFR
Global Carbon Budget
Sea Level Rise, etc
Feedback on needs and adequacy of information
The UNFCCC reality…

5. AIMS (Art.2)
keeping the global average
temperature to well below 2°C above
pre-industrial levels and pursuing
efforts to limit the temperature to
1.5°C above pre-industrial level
Increasing the ability to adapt to the
adverse impacts of climate change and
foster climate resilience and low
greenhouse gas emissions
development
Making finance flows consistent with
a pathway towards low greenhouse
gas emissions and climate-resilient
development
Bodies and secretariat (Art. 16-19)
Adoption and modification (Art. 20-24)
Procedures (Art. 25-29)
Facilitate
Increasing
ambition
Undertake and communicate ambitious
efforts increasing over time
ACTIONS
Nationally Determined Contributions (Art. 4)
Conservation of Sinks and REDD+ (Art. 5)
Voluntary Cooperation etc(Art. 6)
Improvement of adaptive capacity (Art. 7)
Loss and Damage (Art. 8)
Provision of financial support (Art. 9)
Technology transfer (Art. 10)
Capacity Building (Art. 11)
Education and public awareness (Art 12)
ASSESS
PROGRESS
Global Stocktake (Art. 14)
Committee to facilitate compliance (Art.15)
Transparency Framework (Art. 13)
Facilitate
Reporting
5-year reviews
Paris
Agreement

6. Paris
Agreement
and
its
Global
Stocktake Provision of
Capacity
Building
Technology
Transfer
Mitigation
Adaptation
Transparency
framework:
reporting
Measuring
progress
towards goal
Provision of
financial
support
Land use and land-use change and
forests: better resolution
Early Warning systems
Improved projections and risk
estimation
Anthropogenic fluxes of GHGs,
natural sources and sinks,
Monitoring global
temperature
Overall impact of NDCs:
state of the climate, water
cycle and energy fluxes
Monitoring urban change and
infrastructure,
New requirements to support
renewable energy, winds, water etc.
Improved monitoring of the carbon
cycle
Improved monitoring of the energy
cycle
Improved monitoring of the water
cycle
Monitoring agricultural change,
New requirements to support
adaptation
Improved adaption planning

7. Global
Indicators
Indicators
under
development
Supplementary
Indicators
Temperature
and Energy
Ocean
Acidification
Atmospheric
CO2
Ocean Heat
Surface
Temperature
Cryosphere
Ocean
Atmospheric
Composition
Arctic and
Antarctic Sea
Ice
Glacier Mass
Balance
Sea Level
Biosphere
Heat Waves
Heavy
Precipitation
Droughts
Ecosystem
change
Snow extent
Halocarbon
GHG
Top of
atmosphere
energy balance
Water
Methane
N2O
Climate Indicators

9. Permafrost
Coastal Areas River Discharge
Biosphere
Fire
Atmospheric concentrations
Anthropogenic Emissions
Global Carbon Cycle: selected observational
improvements
Ocean Carbonate System
Soil Carbon
Land Use Change

10. Summary
• Since 1992 GCOS has worked with the UNFCCC to improve
systematic climate observations
• The 2016 Implementation Plan recognised the importance of
supporting adaptation and mitigation, and monitoring the 3 climate
cycles
• The Paris agreement has many observational needs, from monitoring
its aims to supporting many of its actions: adaptation, mitigation,
early warning etc.
• There are a wide range of observations that are needed and many
serve more than one purpose
• “New” areas include:
• Urban and agricultural change
• Wind and solar power
• The global observation community needs to work together to
support the Paris Agreement

11. The Global Observing System for Climate
Thank you