From the 11th to the 13th of March 2024, the European project Climateurope2 celebrates the festival "Uniting science, services and standards for a climate resilient future" in Venice (Italy). Inaugurated by ICREA Professor Francisco Doblas-Reyes, Director of the Department of Earth Sciences at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center-Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) and Climateurope2 coordinator, the event is organised by the Euro-Mediterranean Climate Change Centre (Centro Euro Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, CMCC). It has an attractive and innovative programme that combines panel sessions with more interactive sessions like world cafés, roundtables and a marketplace. The festival differentiates itself from traditional scientific conferences by integrating artistic, training and interactive elements. This event seeks to position BSC and the organisations involved in Climaterope2 as key players in the climate services arena.

Funded by the European Union, Climateurope2 aims to develop standardisation procedures and recommendations for climate services. With two webstivals (online festivals) and various outreach activities successfully organised, including an art and science residency whose resulting work will be showcased to encourage public participation and interest in climate research, data, and services, the project now organises an in-person event to foster networking and transfer knowledge. According to Prof. Doblas-Reyes, “Climateurope2 is developing recommendations for the standardisation of climate services for the first time by bringing together the very diverse climate services community using an inclusive and equitable approach.” 

The central themes of the festival revolve around three overarching themes, mainly selected to encourage the mingling of different types of audiences:

• EU Mission on Climate Change: Explore effective adaptation and building resilience through the use of climate services.
• Urban Challenges: Focus on sustainable urban development and climate-resilient cities.
• Water Management Challenges: Discuss the crucial role of climate services in addressing water-related challenges.

“The Festival is a unique opportunity to engage with the climate services community at large, as well as with a broad range of climate services users. Such engagement is key to identifying the elements that will underpin the set of good practices and guidelines for standardising climate services,” states Prof. Doblas-Reyes.

Reputable organisations and initiatives such as the World Meteorological Organization, the flagship European initiative Destination Earth, Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), EU Climate Adapt, Global Water Partnership (GWP), Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC), among others, have been invited and participate in the event. 

The event is addressed to subnational entities and authorities engaged in climate mitigation and adaptation, i.e., representatives from national or regional committees and fora dedicated to climate services and knowledge portals; stakeholders across various sectors utilising climate services; and providers of climate services, including those developed by national meteorological and hydrological services, innovation projects and initiatives and public or commercial organisations.

Emphasis is placed on empowering individuals in regional and local administrations, stakeholders from climate-related sectors, and anyone interested in engaging in climate action through the use of climate services. It is an ideal occasion for insightful discussions on transparency, reliability, and the effectiveness of climate services through an equity and diversity lens that enriches the collaborative dialogue among the festival’s participants.