United NationsOffice for Outer Space Affairs

United Nations/Austria Symposium: "Space Applications for Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action"

1-3 September 2020

Online event via WebEx

Key Information and Documents

• Agenda (updated 30 August 2020)
• UN/Austria Symposium Closing Summary (3 September 2020)
• Online Event Summary (3 September 2020)

Registration CLOSED

Deadline to propose abstracts for presentations: 19 June 2020 [CLOSED]
Deadline to register for the event: 16 August 2020 [CLOSED]

Please note that participation will be limited to the maximum number of selected applicants as per capacity of the online platform.

Theme

The 2020 UN/Austria Symposium "Space Applications for Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action" takes place from 1-3 September. It discusses how space technologies support climate action.

Climate action is one of the most pressing priorities for action within the Sustainable Development Goals framework. The last 5 years were the hottest on record and 14 of the 15 hottest years have occurred since 2000. Average sea levels have risen by 23 cm since 1880 and by 9 cm in the last 25 years. Earth observation is an essential tool to monitor these changes: out of the 50 essential climate change variables, 26 can only be measured from space. Space technologies can contribute significantly to global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This becomes evident when mapping contributions of space-based technologies to the SDGs: out of the 169 SDG targets, 65 are reliant on geolocation or Earth observation.

The event aims to showcase concrete climate action cases through demonstrations of applications using space solutions. Users of space applications present lessons learnt and experts discuss the role of space applications in climate-related policies.

Specific policy discussions enable exchange of experiences and know-how on how to incorporate space applications and tools for climate action in environmental policy. The overarching objective of the Symposium is to offer users, with particular focus on developing countries, an opportunity to explore tools, policies, and approaches that could be adopted in their respective regional, national or local context.

Background     

The UN/Austria Symposium has taken place under the Programme of Space Applications of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs in Graz, Austria, since 1994. Since the first Symposium entitled "Enhancing Social, Economic and Environmental Security through Space Technology", more than 2500 participants have attended the events. They addressed a variety of themes, ranging from security to youth, as well as the use of space for sustainable development, space accessibility, and international cooperation.

The Symposia series has provided a forum for discussion between the different stakeholder groups of the wider space community, including the diplomatic community, statisticians, the private sector and academia, as well as UN entities. The main purpose of the Symposia remains to enable discussions on the use of space tools and applications, on capacity-building and to support policymaking.

Objectives

The main objectives of the Symposium are:

1. To foster the exchange of best practices in the use of space applications for concrete climate change mitigation and/or climate-related adaptation activities.
2. To share know-how and to explore what services are available, demonstrating how they can be accessed and used to support climate action according to national priorities.
3. To showcase available toolboxes already implemented within case studies or pilot projects with the aim of promoting adoption of tested tools and approaches.
4. To discuss the role of UNOOSA in implementing capacity-building activities, particularly in developing countries.
5. To raise awareness in the various user groups, in particular government representatives, the diplomatic community UN and international organisations as well as NGOs on available space-related activities, services and cooperation programs.
6. To showcase how space-related policies have been developed and how they are used in different countries.
7. To discuss how international climate related regulations, such as the "Nationally Determined Contributions" of the Paris Agreement, can be fulfilled through the use of space technologies and applications.

Programme

The event is structured with three types of interventions:

• Sessions, where each presentation is followed by a Questions & Answers session with the audience
• Panels, where each panelist presents their perspective, followed by a debate between panelists and Questions & Answers with the audience
• Project Pitches, where the presenter presents their project concisely

 Presentation of case studies, pilot projects and lessons learnt in respective countries are welcome.

Working Language

The working language of the Workshop will be English. All participants are required to have good English language skills.

Working Methods

Sponsorship

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and Austria  are responsible for organising the Symposium. It is supported by the Federal Ministry Republic of Austria European and International Affairs, Federal Ministry Republic of Austria Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, European Space Agency, AUSTROSPACE, the City of Graz, Joanneum Research, University of Vienna and Graz University of Technology.  

Expected Participants

The Symposium is limited to a total of 250 participants. It addresses members of the diplomatic community, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, research and development institutions, policy-and-decision makers, senior experts, scientists, engineers and university educators, in particular from developing countries. Representatives from the different permanent missions of United Nations Member States in Vienna will be invited to the Symposium, together with representatives of various United Nations entities and other international organisations, with the objective of fostering dialogue not only between policy-makers, but also with the private sector and end users. Representatives from the space application industry are also welcome to attend and present their solutions.

The Office of Outer Space Affairs strives to support gender mainstreaming in its programmes and is also committed to ensure a balanced representation from different perspectives.  Applications from female applicants are particularly encouraged.

Contact Information

For additional information on the Symposium programme, please contact: unoosa-events@un.org