International Conference on Climate Services 2

Climate variability affects many aspects of life. Departures from seasonal rhythms can mean the difference between feast and famine, health and disease, even life and death. More often and more subtly, climate fluctuations contribute to slight variations in profit and loss. 

In this context, learning to better manage climate-related risk is a priority for many segments of society. By providing timely, tailored, decision-relevant information to those who need it, climate services help societies to cope with current climate variability and build resilience to future change. 

Over the last four decades, the provision climate services has evolved from an almost exclusively governmental function to one carried out by a combination of federal, state, and local government agencies, the private sector, and academia. This change toward a more diversified climate service enterprise has improved and diversified climate services, but it has also raised questions about the proper roles of the various sectors and the potential for actual or perceived competition. 

ICCS 2 will explore these issues while paying special attention to gaps and opportunities related to the private sector, which has made many valuable contributions to the climate service enterprise. These contributions include satisfying user needs for specialized products, collecting local data to supplement national networks, and ensuring the widest possible dissemination of watches, warnings, and advisories. 

ICCS 2 is held in conjunction with the Climate Services Partnership. 

The goal of the conference is to facilitate the development of an international Climate Service Enterprise (CSE) that provides scientific information in support of decision-making by business and public administration. The conference will identify the conditions required to develop an efficient and relevant CSE. It will also address the scope and the challenges facing the CSE. 

On the first day of the conference, attendees will review progress made since the establishment of Climate Service Partnership (CSP) at the first ICCS meeting in 2011 in New York. On the second day, the conference will address the needs and opportunities associated with Climate Services. The third day will be devoted to the results of the conference’s working groups and set up a roadmap towards trusted, authoritative and high quality CSE. 

Practical aspects will be highlighted. Therefore, several side-events are planned. In addition, participants are invited to present posters that provide information on existing Climate Service Initiatives.