GEOSS: The intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is coordinating efforts to develop a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). GEO was launched in response to calls for action by the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and by the G8 (Group of Eight) leading industrialised countries. These high-level meetings recognised that international collaboration is essential for exploiting the growing potential of Earth observations to support decision-making in an increasingly complex and environmentally stressed world.

GEO is an intergovernmental body of member governments and participating organisations. It provides a framework within which these partners can develop new projects and coordinate their strategies and investments. As of September 2010, GEO’s members included more then 80 governments and the European Commission. In addition, more then 56 intergovernmental, international, and regional organisations with a mandate in Earth observation or related issues have been recognised as Participating Organisations.

GEO is coordinating GEOSS on the basis of a 10-year Implementation Plan for the period 2005 to 2015. The Plan defines a vision statement for GEOSS, its purpose and scope, expected benefits, and nine ‘Societal Benefit Areas’: disasters, health, energy, climate, water, weather, ecosystems, agriculture and biodiversity.

Its 2005–2009 programme addresses more than 70 tasks to advance work under way in these societal benefit areas and to implement an interoperable architecture that links existing and planned systems around the world, as well as improving and standardising access to Earth observations.

CEOS has begun to receive and coordinate commitments from its members to address the high priority space-related actions in these tasks.

Ministers and officials from over 100 governments and international organisations assembled at the 4th Earth Observation Summit, 28–30 November 2007, and noted with satisfaction the numerous contributions and early achievements made toward the development of GEOSS as described in the ‘GEO Report on Progress 2007’.