Partnerships

National

With Geoscience Australia and the Bureau of Meteorology, the CSIRO Centre for Earth Observation provides national coordination of civilian Earth observation matters, including providing advice to government. On behalf of CSIRO, we are a member of the Copernicus Australasia consortium, contributing funding and expertise to deliver regional access to data from the European Space Agency’s Copernicus missions.

We work with a diverse range of partners across Australia, including the Australian Space Agency, federal and state government, private industry, and the research sector.

International

Australia is a major user of Earth observation data, almost all of which is provided by foreign governments. Alongside Geoscience Australia and the Bureau of Meteorology, we maintain critical international partnerships to support the ongoing supply of Earth observation data for Australia, play leadership roles in key international Earth observation coordination bodies, and contribute renown technical expertise (e.g. on satellite calibration and validation) to important international forums.

Chair of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites 2025 – 2026

In November 2025 CSIRO, with support from Geoscience Australia and the Bureau of Meteorology, will become Chair of the international, inter-agency Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS).

CEOS involves more than 60 space and other agencies, operating more than 150 satellites, to ensure international coordination of civil space-based Earth observation programs, and advocate for the free and open exchange of data.

The work of CEOS spans the development of technical standards for data product exchange, the establishment of high-level inter-agency agreements on common data policies (e.g. data platforms such as the Open Data Cube; calibration and validation; CEOS Analysis Ready Data standards), and various applications areas (including contributions to global agendas such as the Global Stocktake, the UN Sustainable Development Goals).

 

 

 

Other CEOS engagement

Current Co-lead – Ecosystem Extent Task Team Executive member – SDG Coordination Group (We won an award!) Member – Working Group Information Systems and Services Member – Working Group Calibration and Validation

Past Chair – Working Group Calibration and Validation (2019 – 2021) Chair – Working Group Information Systems and Services (2018 – 2020) Chair – Strategic Implementation Team (2020 – 2021) Chair – CEOS (2016)

Group on Earth Observations

We are part of Australia’s delegation, led by Geoscience Australia, to the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO). GEO works to improve the availability, access and use of Earth observation for the benefit of society, improve and coordinate global Earth observation systems, and promote broad, open data sharing. GEO’s global priorities include supporting the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. GEO consists of 105 member countries and 127 participating organisations.

 

 

 

Past and current GEO contributions

Co-lead – Pacific Islands Advisory Group Co-lead – Land Degradation Neutrality Initiative (We won an award!) Member of initiatives – EO4SDG, GEOGLAM, GFOI, Blue Planet, AquaWatch, GEO BON, GEOTREES Co-organiser – 2019 GEO Ministerial Summit and Plenary in Canberra.

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