Climate services are the dissemination of climate information to the public or a specific user. They involve strong partnerships among providers (...) and stakeholders, including government agencies, private interests, and academia, for the purpose of interpreting and applying climate information for decision making, sustainable development, and improving climate information products, predictions, and outlooks (Cited after WMO).

The climate science community finds itself increasingly exposed to various groups of stakeholders asking rather specific questions about consequences, uncertainties, probabilities related to climate and climate change. This corresponds to a wide variety of 'user needs'. Hence, many requests for climate services (CS) will be a two-way exchange: not only will climate information be provided to users, but users will influence the development of climate services and the underpinning research by defining their needs.

Work on climate services is generally organised on a national level. Hence, we often find duplication of efforts. Consistency at a European level would be relevant with regard to data availability, improved tool/methods development and for cross-border issues. (cited after JPI Climate)

To stand up to the challenges of developing and delivering CS in Europe four issues of scientific research and learning in network should be tackled: Improved data availability, better tools/methods for providing CS, consistency in cross-border settings, two-way exchange on climate knowledge.

The questions to be discussed at this plenary session are:
▪ Is the information we currently provide adapted to user-needs, useful to the users?
▪ Are there good examples where provision of climate (change) information has led to actions by the users
▪ What is required to better meet the needs of the users?

Programme:

16.30 – 18.00 Moderated Panel Discussion

Introductory Lecture on Climate Services and challenges
Hans von Storch, Institute of Coastal Research, Head of Department System Analysis and Modelling

Moderator: Gé Verver, EUMETNET Climate Programme

Panellists:
Hans von Storch, Institute of Coastal Research, Head of Department System Analysis and Modelling
Radim Tolasz, CHMI, Head of Department of Climate Change
Inger Hansen Bauer, Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Hilppa Gregow, FMI and EUMETNET Climate Programme
Laurent Dubus, EDF - Reserach & Development

18:00 Closing