CONCERTO at the Living Planet Symposium 2025

Between 23-27 June 2025, Vienna, Austria, hosted the Living Planet Symposium, a conference held by the European Space Agency. This year’s event brought together leading scientists, policy-makers, and practitioners to explore how satellite data and Earth system science can contribute to addressing some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

Dr Manuela Balzarolo, CONCERTO’s coordinator, represented the project and contributed to the symposium's thematic focus on climate action. Dr Balzarolo delivered a presentation in the "Carbon Budget Reconciliation Challenge" session, where she highlighted the role of Earth observation data and process-based models in reducing uncertainties surrounding carbon dynamics. Her intervention underscored how the integration of scientific tools and robust data is essential for informing policies that are aligned with climate targets.

In addition to the presentation, Dr Balzarolo participated in a roundtable discussion focused on the importance of reconciling the global carbon budget. The dialogue offered valuable perspectives on how a deeper understanding of carbon fluxes can strengthen the effectiveness of international climate frameworks and mitigation strategies.

The symposium also served as a platform to foster collaboration within the research community. Notably, Dr Ruben Valbuena introduced CONCERTO’s sister project, NextGenCarbon, highlighting complementary approaches and shared goals. The interaction between the two projects is expected to enhance their collective impact and support more integrated solutions for monitoring and managing the Earth’s carbon cycle.