As participants gather with a shared commitment to safeguarding the planet's sustainability, the focus often rests on the earth's lands, waters, and climate. It's crucial to extend the gaze further – to the largely uncharted frontier of sustainability: the space above.
On the sidelines of COP29, 20 global space agencies, international organisations, the Heads of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), and the Commonwealth Secretariat met at a Leaders’ Space Summit to promote the role of space technology in addressing climate change.
Space technology is already being used to monitor, understand and respond to the forces shaping the world. However, the principles of sustainability cannot stop at the atmosphere. Space debris poses a significant threat to vital satellites and missions, while climate-related disasters demand cutting-edge space technologies for real-time monitoring and swift response.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, said:
“I am proud of our CommonSpace initiative that is redefining space stewardship through collaboration and innovation. With three core pillars—space debris management, disaster resilience through geospatial data, and capacity building—we aim to safeguard space for future generations and harness its potential for global good.”
Core pillars and collaboration of CommonSpace
CommonSpace, launched in June 2024, aims to safeguard space for future generations and harness its potential for global good. The initiative is a combination of vision and partnership, working with UNOOSA to collaborate on capacity building, satellite data access and sharing, and addressing technical aspects of space sustainability.
Building on the CommonSensing Project
The CommonSpace initiative builds on the previous CommonSensing project to share powerful space technology, data, and research to help developing countries better predict, manage, and recover from increasingly frequent and severe climate disasters. Both these initiatives are under the leadership of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Science and Technology, Professor Manahel Thabet, who brings a deep understanding of how technology can boost progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to bear on major Commonwealth initiatives.
Key agreements from COP29 that will benefit Commonwealth member countries:
- Deploy space-based technologies: Identify and deploy practical space-enabled solutions to help address the Earth's greatest climate challenges.
- Enhance global collaboration: Strengthen international partnerships to improve capacity building, scientific data sharing, and the development of joint climate strategies.
- Support the UN's Space2030 Agenda: Actively contribute to the objectives of the "Space2030 Agenda" as adopted by the UN General Assembly on 26 October 2021, including four objectives - advancing space economy, space society, space accessibility, and space diplomacy.
- Enhanced data sharing: Amplify scientific data sharing efforts, particularly between established and emerging space nations, with a specific focus on inclusivity, especially in engaging developing countries.
Media contact
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Suné Kitshoff Senior Communications Officer, Communications Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
- M: +44 7740 450 901 | E-mail
