COP21 was a crucial moment in terms of the growing awareness of states of the reality of climate change and its grave consequences for our planet. Alerted for years by the scientific community, governments at last committed to reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in order to slow down and halt the rise in average global temperatures. However, precise measures are needed to assess the effectiveness of these strategies, and this represents a scientific and technological challenge.

The Air and Space Academy decided to take part in this debate by organising an international conference in October 2017. The aim was to examine the contribution of space systems in improving our understanding of phenomena influencing the climate and to bring together scientists, space agencies and industry. Dossier 47 presents a summary of findings along with key recommendations for stakeholders.