Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
Paragraph: 57
The UK is world-leading in Earth Observation (EO) science and technologies.
Recommendation
The UK is world-leading in Earth Observation (EO) science and technologies. The EO sector and the Government have recognised that these strengths can also be used to support other UK ambitions such as Net Zero. Taking guidance from the UK Space Agency and UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) joint review into how space technologies can be used to tackle climate change, the Government should set out detailed actions for how EO will be used to support the transition to Net Zero. This should include a package of financial support to ensure the UK remains a world leader in this area.
Government Response Summary
The government announced almost £400m of new investment in Earth Observation in November 2022, including subscription to ESA EO programmes and an Earth Observation Investment Package, but does not provide any actions to specifically support the transition to Net Zero using EO or set out detailed actions.
Paragraph Reference:
57
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Earth Observation (EO) is a vital science and a growing industry, and we are investing in projects which benefit our planet and grow our economy. EO supports the UK’s strategic priorities and net zero ambitions—more than half of key climate variables are only measurable from space. The Government were acutely aware of the challenges facing the sector as a result of the EU’s ongoing delays in confirming the UK’s participation in the EU Copernicus programme. That is why on 23 November 2022 this Government announced almost £400m of new investment in Earth Observation. Around £200m of this investment was through subscription to European Space Agency (ESA) EO programmes as part of our ambitious investment strategy secured at the ESA Council of Ministers. On top of that, we committed a further £200m to an Earth Observation Investment Package of ESA and national activities that was designed to mitigate the impact of the ongoing non- association with the Copernicus programme. This funding comes from the budget we set aside for our association to Copernicus. The funding will be spread across 17 projects being delivered through the UK Space Agency (UKSA), The Met Office and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Investing in the UK EO sector is a vital part of achieving our ambitions in space and aligning with the National Space strategy, but it is just the first step – providing an interim response to what we have been hearing are their biggest challenges. We will continue to work with the sector to identify strategic priorities to keep building on the world-leading excellence in UK EO for decades to come. Participation in Copernicus remains an option, but these actions demonstrate the commitment to supporting the sector and mitigating the impacts of the ongoing delays. Development of Launch