Between 23-27 June 2025, Vienna, Austria, hosted the Living Planet Symposium, a conference held by the European Space Agency. This year’s event brought together leading scientists, policy-makers, and practitioners to explore how satellite data and Earth system science can contribute to addressing some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

Dr Manuela Balzarolo, CONCERTO’s coordinator, represented the project and contributed to the symposium's thematic focus on climate action. Dr Balzarolo delivered a presentation in the "Carbon Budget Reconciliation Challenge" session, where she highlighted the role of Earth observation data and process-based models in reducing uncertainties surrounding carbon dynamics. Her intervention underscored how the integration of scientific tools and robust data is essential for informing policies that are aligned with climate targets.

In addition to the presentation, Dr Balzarolo participated in a roundtable discussion focused on the importance of reconciling the global carbon budget. The dialogue offered valuable perspectives on how a deeper understanding of carbon fluxes can strengthen the effectiveness of international climate frameworks and mitigation strategies.

The symposium also served as a platform to foster collaboration within the research community. Notably, Dr Ruben Valbuena introduced CONCERTO’s sister project, NextGenCarbon, highlighting complementary approaches and shared goals. The interaction between the two projects is expected to enhance their collective impact and support more integrated solutions for monitoring and managing the Earth’s carbon cycle.

The first CONCERTO newsletter is officially published, offering a snapshot of the project’s key developments and achievements during its initial six months. 

This edition highlights our progress in building a strong collaborative foundation, launching outreach efforts, and initiating early scientific and communication activities. It also provides insight into the diverse contributions of our partners, and showcases the momentum we’ve built across multiple fronts, from stakeholder engagement to knowledge sharing.

We invite you to read the full newsletter and explore how CONCERTO is building a collaborative path toward climate resilience through nature-based solutions and cross-sectoral cooperation.

CONCERTO’s partner, the CMCC Foundation (Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici) is inviting applications for up to two research positions within its Impacts on Agriculture, Forests and Ecosystem Services (IAFES) Division, based in Viterbo, Italy.

These positions offer an opportunity to contribute to high-impact, interdisciplinary research at the forefront of climate and ecosystem science. CMCC is seeking a skilled scientists eager to support the development of innovative methods to understand and model ecosystem responses to environmental change.

The successful applicants will join an experienced and collaborative team, contributing to the development of modelling tools and analysis of large-scale datasets to inform climate adaptation and sustainability strategies.

These positions are ideal for researchers who are eager to apply their skills to real-world environmental challenges and contribute to meaningful scientific outcomes for both policy and society.

Learn more and apply here