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.

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.

Agenda

See the full agenda the bottom of this page.

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: A0 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, (25 March) 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.

Logistics


Programme

Fuseau horaire : Europe/London

24 mars 2026 - Status and Updates
  • 08:30 - 09:15 Registration
  • 08:30 - 18:30 Project Posters: ECV-specific and X-ECV Projects
  • 09:15 - 10:30 Session 1: Welcome, ESA CCI and CM25 update
      • Opening and Welcome - Susanne Mecklenburg (ESA)
      • ESA’s FutureEO post-CM25 - Rune Floberhagen (ESA)
      • CCI / CLIMATE SPACE status - Clement Albergel (ESA)
  • 10:30 - 11:00 COFFEE BREAK
  • 11:00 - 12:30 Session 2: CCI Updates - New ECVs overview
      • Ocean Surface Heat Flux (OSHF) - Estrella Olmedo
      • Phytoplankton (PHYTO) - Gemma Kulk
      • Evapotranspiration (EVAPO) - Diego Miralles
      • Sea Ice Age and Drift (SAGE) - Signe Aaboe
      • GCOS ECV Rationalisation: Update and results - Peter Thorne (GCOS)
      • Upcoming missions and connecting to CCI - ESA

      • Overview of CCI impact - Jürgen Wehnert (Powers of 10/CCI Knowledge Exchange Team)
  • 12:30 - 14:00 LUNCH
      • Science Leaders meeting
      • ESA CCI Mentees meet-up
  • 14:00 - 15:30 Session 3: Climate Space New Projects Breakout Groups
    • Breakout groups for project presentations (all projects):

      • Land (Chairs: Clement Albergel / Sophie Hebden)
      • Atmosphere (Chairs: Simon Pinnock / Michael Eisinger)
      • Cryosphere & Ocean (Chairs: Sarah Connors / Amy Campbell)
      • (Facilitators and rapporteurs tbc)
  • 15:30 - 16:00 COFFEE BREAK
  • 16:00 - 17:30 Session 4: Climate Space New Projects Breakout Groups continued
  • 17:30 - 18:30 Ice breaker & Poster Session
      • including IPCC AR7 Interactive Atlas demonstration - Richard Jones (Met Office)
  • 18:30 - 18:45 Coaches depart for Oxford
25 mars 2026 - Day 2 – Digital Platforms, CMUG Integration Meeting and Future Priorities
  • 09:00 - 18:30 Project Posters: Observation and modelling; Supporting Paris inc health, cities biodiversity, Tipping Elements
  • 09:00 - 10:00 Session 5: Digital Platforms
      • Introduction to Destination Earth and ESA Digital Twin Earth Programmes - Rochelle Schneider (ESA)
      • Introduction to the Destination Earth Digital Twin on Climate and Adaptation - Sebastien Milinski (ECMWF)
      • ESA Platforms and Services for Earth Action - enabling sustainable science and applications in a cloud-based federated ecosystems - Patrick Griffiths & Anca Anghelea (ESA)
  • 10:00 - 10:30 COFFEE BREAK
  • 10:30 - 12:30 Session 6: Future Priorities Breakout groups
      • Introduction – Clement Albergel (ESA)
      • Land - (Chairs: Clement Albergel / Sophie Hebden)
      • Atmosphere - (Chairs: Simon Pinnock / Michael Eisinger)
      • Cryosphere & Ocean - (Chairs: Sarah Connors / Amy Campbell)
  • 12:30 - 14:00 LUNCH & poster session
  • 14:00 - 15:30 Session 7: Climate Modelling - International Developments
      • Introduction - Simon Pinnock (ESA)
      • CMIP, CORDEX and the REF - Eleanor O'Rourke (CMIP-IPO)
      • CMIP7 Forcing Datasets - Claire Macintosh (ESA)
      • ESMO and WGORC - Amy Doherty (Met Office)
      • Update on IPCC AR7 - Richard Jones (Met Office)
      • World Weather Attribution - Ben Clarke (Uni of. Oxford)
  • 15:30 - 16:00 COFFEE BREAK
  • 16:00 - 17:30 Session 8: Climate Modelling World Café
      • Climate Modelling World Café
      • (Facilitators and Rapporteurs to be nominated)

  • 17:30 - 17:45 Buses depart for reception evening
  • 19:00 - 22:30 Reception evening
    • Hosted at the Earth Trust, an environment and conservation charity, located at the iconic Wittenham Clumps.

  • 22:30 - 22:45 Coaches depart for Oxford
26 mars 2026 - Day 3 – Future Planning, Brainstorming and Consolidation
  • 09:00 - 16:00 Project Posters: Observation and modelling; Supporting Paris inc health, cities biodiversity, Tipping Elements
  • 09:00 - 10:30 Session 9: Panel Discussions & Reporting Back
      • Panel Discussion #1 Uncertainties
      • Reporting back Future Priorities breakout groups (Nominated rapporteurs tbc)
      • Reporting back Climate Modelling World Café - Simon Pinnock (ESA) & Amy Doherty (Met Office)
  • 10:30 - 11:00 COFFEE BREAK
  • 11:00 - 12:30 Session 10: Science Strategy and BOGs on future priorities, opportunities and lessons learnt from Climate Space Phase 1.
      • Panel Discussion #2 Gap Filling
      • ESA CCI's contribution to the ESA Science Strategy - Jon Styles (Assimila Ltd)
      • ESA Heritage Space: How CCI can be involved - Mirko Albani (ESA)
      • EUMETSAT update including SAFs - Frank Kaspar (EUMETSAT)

      • Wrap-up and close of meeting - Susanne Mecklenburg (ESA) & Clement Albergel (ESA)
  • 13:30 - 14:00 Coaches Depart ECSAT