UN Symposium in Austria: How Space Technologies Can Mitigate Climate Change
The UN/Austria Symposium 2022 "Space for climate action: experiences and best practices in mitigating and adapting to climate change and supporting sustainability on Earth" will be held online September 13-15. The focus of the symposium will be on recent initiatives, experiences and best practices in mitigating and adapting to climate change and supporting sustainability on Earth, and in addition to raising awareness of the use of space technologies by Member States, will also highlight how the space sector is adapting to reduce its own impact on the climate crisis.
The UN/Austria Symposium 2022 will be held online September 13-15. / Picture: © Vindobona.org
The annual UN/Austria symposium takes place this year under the motto: "Space for climate action: experiences and best practices in mitigation and adapting to climate change and supporting sustainability on Earth". The event will take place from September 13 to 15 and can be followed online.
A key aim of the symposium is to highlight recent efforts, experiences and best practices in combating and adapting to climate change and supporting the sustainability of the planet.
Also, the symposium will raise awareness of how Member States are implementing space technologies and how the space sector is responding to the climate crisis in order to reduce its own impact. The symposium will gather ideas and input to define future activities.
As part of the symposium, government officials, diplomats, UN agencies, international agencies, and nongovernmental organizations will learn about relevant space-related services, programs, and activities.
@UN / Austria Symposium 2022 is open for applications!
— UNOOSA (@UNOOSA) April 21, 2022
13-15 September
Do you work with #space applications for #ClimateAction?
Eager to share innovations that help reduce the climate impact of space efforts?
We want to hear from you, apply today!
https://t.co/ZBFEqjBm6R pic.twitter.com/KUC8cOgk88
Background
UN Office for Outer Space Affairs' Space Applications Program has held the UN/Austria Symposium in Graz, Austria, since 1994. More than 3,100 participants attended the first symposium on "Enhancing Social, Economic and Environmental Security Through Space Technology." Security, youth, sustainable development, space access, international cooperation, and the use of space for sustainable development were among the topics discussed. Last year's event was held in conjunction with the UN Summit on Food Systems.
It provides an opportunity for discussion among various stakeholders in the space community, including the diplomatic community, the private sector, academia, and UN agencies, among others.
Symposia remain primarily focused on facilitating discussions on the use of space instruments and applications from an interdisciplinary perspective, taking into account technological developments and policy-making decisions.
Objectives of the event
A major objective of the symposium is to demonstrate how the space sector is adapting to reduce its own impact on climate change by presenting the latest initiatives in which space technologies and applications are actively contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
What's on the program?
The symposium will addres topics as how space data, particularly from remote sensing and meteorology, are being used to adapt to the climate crisis in countries in different regions of the world, with a focus on recent innovations since 2020 or how space applications such as Earth observation, satellite telecommunications, and satellite navigation can be used to mitigate the impacts of contributors to the climate crisis, particularly in the areas of transportation, energy production, or food production, with a focus on recent innovations since 2020.
Changes in space technology to reduce the contribution of space activities to the climate crisis, with innovation practices such as life cycle assessment, design of spacecraft for doom, or greener technologies in space technology, and regulatory incentives for their adoption.