The meeting brings together all CCI project teams and partners for three full days of information sharing, science discussion and collaboration. We will provide an initial post-CM25 update on the ESA Earth Observation Programme and then focus activity on two main objectives:

  • Science – informing the CCI community - Briefing you on new projects, share updates and best practice, and showcase examples of science exploitation and application using your Essential Climate Variable data products.
  • Shaping future activities - Look ahead to Earth Action / Climate Space Phase 2. Sessions will gather feedback and input on the topics and improvements that should be considered for upcoming ESA Invitations to Tender.

Agenda

View the overall agenda at the bottom of this page.

Who Should Attend

  • CCI project Science Leaders and Project Managers (attendance is expected). Please extend the invite to your CRG members.
  • ESA Research Fellows are encouraged to participate and showcase their work

Registration

This is an invitation-only event. A registration email with instructions/link will be sent in December 2025.

What we require of you

As usual please come prepared to share best practices, lessons learned, and to collaborate and build new connections. Science Leaders and Project Managers should ensure their projects are represented in thematic breakout sessions. ESA may contact you to request you prepare a short presentation and/or assist in facilitating a breakout session. During the meeting, we will ask you to nominate rapporteurs.

Poster Presentation - Each project team is required to prepare and display a poster showcasing their latest research (New projects should provide an overview of their project). Format: A3 portrait using this CCI template. A local oxford printer to consider is Kallkwik - sales@oxford.kallkwik.co.uk; +44 (0)1865 791 003.

Join us for icebreaker and evening receptions
We strongly encourage you to join the drinks reception at ECSAT on day one; and attend the evening reception on day two, which will be held Earth Trust, an environmental charity nestled in the Oxfordshire countryside beside the Wittenham Clumps – a local beauty spot and landmark, which are designed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange. A coach will take you to the event and then to Oxford at the end of the night.

Earth Trust - evening reception venue
Earth Trust - evening reception venue
Whittenham Clumps
Whittenham Clumps

Logistics

  • Dates: 24–26 March 2026 (colocation closes at 16:00 on 26 March)
  • Venue: ESA ECSAT, Harwell Campus (near Oxford) (Getting to ECSAT)
  • Meeting location: ECSAT on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, south of Oxford
  • Transport: a complimentary coach from Oxford to ECSAT each day will be available.
  • Accommodation: Central Oxford recommended

Agenda

Timezone: Europe/London

March 24, 2026 - Status and Updates
  • 8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. Registration
  • 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Posters: All Projects and Research Fellows
  • 9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Session 1: Welcome, ESA CCI and CM25 update
      • Opening and Welcome - Susanne Mecklenburg
      • ESA’s Earth Observation Department post CM25 - Rune Floberhagen
      • CCI / CLIMATE SPACE status - Clement Albergel
  • 10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. COFFEE BREAK
  • 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Session 2: CCI Updates
      • New ECVs overview
      • Ocean Surface Heat Flux (OSHF) - Estrella Olmedo
      • Phytoplankton (PHYTO) - Gemma Kulk
      • Evapotranspiration (EVAPO) - Diego Miralle
      • Sea Ice Age and Drift (SAGE) - Signe Aaboe

      • GCOS ECV Rationalisation: Update and results - Peter Thorne (GCOS)
      • Upcoming missions and connecting to CCI - ESA
      • KE overview of CCI impact - Knowledge Exchange Team
  • 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. LUNCH and ESA CCI Mentees meet-up
  • 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Session 3: Climate Space New Projects Breakout Groups

    • Breakout groups for project presentations (all Projects except the ECV projects).

      • Land
      • Atmosphere
      • Cryosphere & Ocean
  • 3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. COFFEE BREAK
  • 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Session 4: Climate Space New Projects Breakout Groups continued
  • 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Ice breaker & Poster Session
  • 6:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. Buses depart for Oxford
March 25, 2026 - Day 2 – Observation-Modelling Interface and the Climate Model User Group (CMUG) meeting
  • 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Posters: All projects and Research Fellows
  • 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Session 5: Connecting Observations to Models

    • The Observation-Model interface: WCRP developments

      • Introduction and overview - Simon Pinnock (ESA)
      • CMIP - Amy Doherty (Met Office)
      • CORDEX (Eleanor O'Rourke (CMIP)
      • ESMO – WGORC (Claire Macintosh (ESA)
  • 10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. COFFEE BREAK
  • 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Session 6: Connecting to Destination Earth and other service platforms
      • Introduction to Destination Earth and DestinE - Rochelle Schneider (ESA)
      • Introduction to the Destination Earth Digital Twin on Climate and Adaptation - Sebastien Milinski (ECMWF)
      • High performance computing and cloud infrastructures for ESA projects - Patrick Griffiths (ESA) & Anca Anghelea (ESA)
  • 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. LUNCH & poster session

    • - Science leaders meeting

  • 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Session 7: CMUG Opening and scene-setting
      • CMUG and the 5 new Obs-Model Projects - Simon Pinnock (ESA) & Amy Doherty (Met Office)
      • Update from the IPCC AR7 and Interactive Atlas demo - Sarah Connors (ESA) & Richard Jones (Met Office)
      • World Weather Attribution- Ben Clarke (WWA)
  • 3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. COFFEE BREAK
  • 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Session 8: CMUG World Café
      • CMUG World Cafe - Rapporteur(s) to be nominated
      • Report back of the CMUG World Cafe - facilitated by Simon Pinnock (ESA) & Amy Doherty (Met Office)
  • 5:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. Buses depart for reception evening
  • 7 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Reception evening

    • We will be hosted by the Earth Trust, a environment and conservation charity, located at the iconic Wittenham Clumps.

  • 10:30 p.m. - 10:45 p.m. Buses depart for Oxford
March 26, 2026 - Day 3 – Future planning, Brainstorming and Consolidation
  • 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Posters: All projects and Research Fellows
  • 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Session 9: Panel Discussions
      • Panel Discussion #1
      • Panel Discussion #2

      Topics will be identified through the Colocation registration process.

  • 10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. COFFEE BREAK
  • 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Session 10: Science Strategy and BOGs on future priorities, opportunities and lessons learnt from Climate Space Phase 1.
      • ESA CCI's contribution to the ESA Science Strategy - Jon Styles (Assimila Ltd)
      • Break out group sessions on future priorities - Clement Albergel (ESA)
  • 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. LUNCH
  • 1:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Session 11: Future Priorities BOGs continued and Plenary Report Back

      • Continue BOG discussions - Facilitators
      • BOG Report back
        • Each group from Day 2 to report back (10 mins each) - Nominated rapporteur
      • Wrap-up and close of meeting - Susanne Mecklenburg (ESA) & Clement Albergel (ESA)
  • 3:45 p.m. - 4 p.m. Coffee break
  • 4 p.m. - 4 p.m. Buses Depart ECSAT