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Europe faces unprecedented societal, economic and security challenges. Space has enormous untapped potential to help tackle these challenges and future crises, while simultaneously creating jobs and boosting innovation in the European space industry.

But we must act now.

The climate crisis is happening in every region and globally, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It is producing more frequent and intense heatwaves across Europe as well as heavy rain and flooding that threaten human lives and prosperity.

Satellite data underpins more than half of the essential climate variables identified by the UN’s Global Climate Observing System. Space helps people not only to monitor, understand, model and predict, but – crucially – to act on climate-induced and other crises.

Space already enables European governments and emergency services to respond to natural disasters, by providing timely and accurate images of flooded areas, for example, as well as supplying the precise geolocation of incidents and empowering the emergency response by connecting first responders to their control centres. Satellites reinforce terrestrial systems that can become compromised by natural disasters or by malicious actions.

Further upgrading space-enabled capabilities, particularly for reliable forecasting and rapid responses to crises on Earth, will help save lives and livelihoods.

Because people on Earth rely on space for their safety and security, it is vital to keep satellites safe and secure from natural and human-made hazards. Solar storms can damage satellites in space and electrical transmission lines on Earth, resulting in potentially large and long-lasting power cuts. Meanwhile space debris is increasing, periling active satellites in orbit. Timely and accurate warnings of threats are needed, alongside measures to deal with them.

The societal challenges ahead of Europe are widespread, significant and urgent. Addressing them effectively will require bold decisions and dedicated efforts on multiple fronts. Space technologies, data and services are uniquely positioned to make a difference and provide a concrete response to present and upcoming challenges.

European leaders must act and simultaneously safeguard the environment, create jobs and prosperity for their citizens, and bolster Europe’s strategic position in a changing geopolitical world while recovering from the pandemic.