Space

Space Green Paper

2.2 Supporting sustainable development

The Union has given a commitment to support a sustainable development policy, in particular for the benefit of developing countries. This has been translated, in particular, into commitments made at the World Summit on sustainable development convened in Johannesburg in August 2002.

Earth observation, particularly for meteorological and environmental purposes, is a field of excellence in Europe, thanks in particular to achievements under ESA programmes in this area (e.g. Meteosat, managed by the EUMETSAT Agency, Envisat). Space applications of this type contribute to global monitoring of changes on the planet, for example as regards meteorology, climate, oceans and vegetation.

It also enables more effective management of natural resources and stricter control of environmental parameters and regulations. Capacities for managing environmental crises are also beginning to be developed.

However, space solutions of this type are still generally under?utilised, due in particular to the experimental and fragmentary nature of the system components available. The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) initiative specifically strives to find a range of coherent solutions operational by 2008.

At global level, it has been shown that space systems can play a decisive role in implementing and monitoring the application of international treaties through surveillance and control.

In the case of the Kyoto protocol, the commitments given by the Union represent a substantial effort in economic terms. The Union should have the capacity to ensure that the partners to the agreement meet their commitments, it should also determine the effect of emission reductions.

Europe may better exploit its participation in this type of agreement by the development and offer of space techniques for monitoring and control, as it has recently shown with the Envisat satellite.