The impacts of climate change have intensified over recent decades, driving an urgent need for smarter and more actionable adaptation tools. From agriculture and forestry to energy and water management, decision-makers require precise data to anticipate risks, develop effective strategies, and build sustainability. However, despite the growing demand for climate services, the market remains fragmented, with limited accessibility and a disconnect between available information and sectoral needs. In this context, climate services are essential in strengthening adaptation efforts, and their accessibility is a cornerstone of building resilience.

To bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and practical applications, climate services must be both user-driven and standardised. Standardisation ensures consistency, reliability, and usability, making climate services more accessible across different economic sectors. To better understand how these services can be tailored to real-world needs, surveying stakeholders provides a valuable research approach for identifying current demands, existing barriers, and potential opportunities.

Surveying stakeholder needs for more effective climate services

A nationwide survey of over 300 sectoral stakeholders in Romania, spanning sectors such as agriculture, biodiversity, water resources, energy, and transportation, was conducted to assess the use of climate services, the challenges stakeholders face, and the improvements required to make these services more relevant. As Romania experiences both economic growth and intensifying climate change impacts, the emerging climate services market serves as a valuable case study, demonstrating the need for a more systematic and strategic approach to adaptation.

Understanding stakeholder needs is essential for developing effective and actionable climate services. A survey-based approach provides a structured and systematic method to capture user perspectives, ensuring that climate services are developed not only based on scientific and technical expertise but also in alignment with the real-world requirements of decision-makers and practitioners. By engaging stakeholders directly, the development of climate services is driven by both supply and demand, enhancing their relevance and practical application.

Bridging the gap between data and decision-making

The study revealed that only 33% of stakeholders currently use climate services, highlighting a significant gap between the availability of climate information and its practical application. However, the findings also indicate a strong latent demand across all sectors, suggesting that many organisations recognise the value of climate services but face barriers to access and integration.

One of the primary concerns identified in the survey is the lack of tailored climate information. Many stakeholders require sector-specific data and customised climate products, yet the current market offers limited options, making it difficult for organisations to integrate climate information into their decision-making processes.

Another critical challenge is user capacity and accessibility. Although climate service providers are diverse, and the National Meteorological Administration (NMA) offers climate products for free, many organisations lack the technical expertise to interpret and apply climate information effectively. This suggests that beyond improving data availability, significant efforts must focus on capacity-building and technical training to enhance the usability of climate services.

Encouragingly, the study also highlights a growing demand for specialised and accessible climate services. At the European level, initiatives such as the New EU Climate Adaptation Strategy emphasise the importance of standardising climate adaptation solutions.

Challenges and opportunities

Despite the increasing recognition of climate services as essential adaptation tools, several key barriers hinder their widespread adoption:

• Limited sectoral integration – Climate data remains underutilised outside of highly climate-dependent sectors such as energy and forestry.
  
  
• Data accessibility and technical constraints – Many organisations require climate services but lack the necessary infrastructure or expertise to effectively integrate them.
  
  
• Lack of standardisation – The absence of structured climate service mechanisms makes it difficult for users to navigate the available options and adopt the most appropriate services.
  
  

However, growth opportunities remain significant. Interest in climate services is widespread, even among non-users, indicating a strong potential market. Moreover, technological advancements, such as AI-driven modelling and satellite-based climate monitoring, provide new opportunities for developing more precise, user-friendly, and sector-specific climate services.

Building a robust climate services market

To accelerate the development of an effective climate services market, several key actions are needed:

• Enhancing user engagement through co-development – Climate services must be designed in collaboration with end-users to ensure they are tailored to their specific needs.
  
  
• Improving data accessibility and customisation – Climate products should be adapted to different sectors, with a finer spatial and temporal resolution to increase their applicability.
  
  
• Standardising climate services – Establishing standardised frameworks, aligned with EU policies, will improve interoperability, reliability, and accessibility.
  
  
• Building capacity and awareness – Providing technical training and educational programs will help stakeholders better understand and integrate climate services into their decision-making processes.
  
  

By implementing these steps, climate services can move beyond raw data to become a vital tool for adaptation and resilience. Standardisation will play a critical role in making climate services more efficient, accessible, and impactful, ensuring they are not only scientifically robust but also practical and applicable for decision-makers across different sectors.

This study on Romanian stakeholders represents an important first step in advancing the climate services market. By systematically collecting data on stakeholder perceptions, usage patterns, and expectations, and by directly collaborating with end-users, climate services can better respond to the evolving challenges of both the economy and society.

The findings provide a roadmap for improving accessibility, standardisation, and co-development, ensuring that climate services evolve from being mere datasets to becoming actionable tools that drive climate resilience and informed decision-making. As climate change continues to shape the global landscape, strengthening climate services will be essential for empowering stakeholders, enhancing adaptation strategies, and fostering a more resilient future.