The successful proposal is aiming to improve terrestrial monitoring as well as maximising synergies with biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation and adaptation, by using or acquiring environmental data, particularly geographically explicit data such as ground-based observation and remote sensed Earth observation data. This with a view to contribute to the objectives of climate-neutrality, adaptation to climate change and reversing biodiversity loss at global levels, with a focus on the EU and China. Synergetic solutions, including nature-based solutions such as the protection, the restoration and the sustainable management of terrestrial land, can contribute to enhancing carbon dioxide removals from the atmosphere, while reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience to climate change impacts, and contributing to biodiversity conservation and restoration.

The successful proposal will furthermore contribute to an advanced understanding of science to support integrated climate and biodiversity actions on natural and managed ecosystems and associated economic sectors. It will do so by advancing solutions for monitoring, assessment and projections to support decision-making in better integrated climate and biodiversity policies in terrestrial ecosystems generally.

The successful proposal is expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• Protect biodiversity and maximize synergetic benefits of biodiversity conservation, climate mitigation and adaptation based on both remote sensing and ground-based observation;
• Development and exchange of best practices in using ground-based observation and Earth observation data and information, and establish standard and indicator system for biodiversity measurement for better integrated approaches in order to deliver increased synergies between mitigation, adaptation and conservation.
• Geographically-explicit monitoring on regions that has been identified high biodiversity value and/or subject to biodiversity protection and restoration provisions due to high climate risk;
• Strengthen scientific research in supporting of the synergies between the monitoring and reporting frameworks under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), including on the impacts of climate change on biodiversity, for better implementation and progress assessment of the post-2020 global biodiversity framewor.

Proposals for topics under this destination should set out credible pathways that contribute to climate action on land – including forestland, grassland, cropland and wetland – as well as on oceans and water and more specifically to one or several of the following impacts:

• better understanding and strengthening of the mitigation potential of ecosystems and sectors based on the sustainable management of natural resources;
• advancement of science and technology to support the adaptation and resilience of natural and managed ecosystems, on land, in the ocean, in water and soil systems as well as economic sectors in the context of the changing climate, including interaction with drivers of biodiversity change and zero pollution;
• efficient monitoring, assessment, modelling and data-driven decision-making support systems and projections related to climate change impacts, mitigation and adaptation potential in order to derive solutions for tackling existing and emerging threats and support decision-making in climate change mitigation and adaptation policies at European and global levels, including through the use of AI and other digital solutions;
• increased climate change mitigation in the primary sectors, including by means of reducing their GHG emissions and other pollutants, maintaining natural and man-made carbon sinks and increasing uptake and storage of carbon in ecosystems, taking into account trade-offs with regard to ecosystems;
• improved capacity to climate change of the ocean, sea, water and soil systems and related sectors to adapt to climate change, including by means of unlocking the potential of nature-based solutions;
• sustainable management of scarce resources, in particular soils and water, therefore mitigating climate related risks, especially desertification and erosion, thanks to informed decision-makers and stakeholders and the integration of adaptation measures in relevant EU policies.