ENVRI-Hub Advancing Integrated Environmental Research and Policy

The ENVRI-Hub, currently enhanced within the ENVRI-Hub NEXT project, is a transformative platform for integrating Environmental Research Infrastructures (ENVRIs) across four sub-domains:  atmosphere, marine, terrestrial, and biodiversity. As a virtual gateway for a variety of ENVRIs - spanning from those in the ESFRI roadmap to several ERICs - the Hub supports streamlined discovery and access to multidisciplinary data, tools, services, knowledge, and training, thus providing a foundation for advancing evidence-based environmental research, policy, and governance. In this function, ENVRI-Hub NEXT was chosen by the ENVRI Science Cluster to act as the Cluster’s Open Science Competence Center (CLOCC) fulfilling the specifications defined by the Horizon Europe Project OSCARS.

This presentation explores the strategic role of the ENVRI-Hub in aligning RIs with European and global policy objectives, such as the European Green Deal, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the EOSC Federation (and upcoming Horizon Europe themes). By enabling discovery and access to harmonized datasets and, services to compute and Essential Environmental (e.g. Climate) Variables, the Hub provides policymakers and stakeholders with actionable insights to address pressing global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable resource management. Building on these efforts, the ENVRI Community has begun assessing the requirements for the development of an ENVRI EOSC thematic Node. The ENVRI EOSC Node would act as a dedicated gateway, connecting the ENVRI-Hub’s wealth of environmental data and services with the broader EOSC Federation to further strengthen collaborative efforts.

The ENVRI-Hub is more than a technical solution; it is envisaged to drive innovation in governance and policy frameworks. By fostering interoperability and adhering to FAIR principles, it ensures that environmental data and services are scientifically robust, accessible, and usable for decision-making. This integrated approach strengthens the links between science and policy, enabling more coordinated and impactful responses to environmental crises.