Copernicus is the European Union's Earth Observation Programme, looking at our planet and its environment for the benefit of Europe’s citizens. It offers information services that draw from satellite Earth Observation and in-situ (non-space) data. 

Read here a series of web articles published by the Copernicus Observer which illustrate the various ways in which these data can support diverse policy areas, especially environment protection, disaster management, climate change and sustainable development.

• Ozone monitoring – data for the protection of life on Earth 
  One of the world’s leading providers of ozone monitoring data is the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Commission. 

• How Copernicus Sentinels monitor the snow and ice extent over Europe
  The Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) provides a set of medium to low resolution Snow and Ice monitoring products to improve time critical applications such as weather forecasting, avalanche bulletins and precise hydrological models.  

• Data in action: CAMS data at the service of governments, scientists and citizens
  The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) datasets are supporting policy decisions, informing academic research and empowering citizens to safeguard their health, inspiring collective action to achieve a more sustainable future for everyone. 

• European State of the Climate 2019: a year of weather in the context of climate change 
  By providing freely accessible, quality-assured climate data, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) empowers governments, businesses and scientists across Europe and beyond to manage climate risk. 

• How do the Copernicus programme and its services contribute to the implementation of the EU Green Deal? 
  Thanks to the reliable, accurate and readily available data it provides, the Copernicus ecosystem can be a true ally in implementing the European Union’s ambitious climate plan. 

• Contributions of the Copernicus services in monitoring the links between COVID-19 and our environment 
  The Copernicus Programme and its services contribute to better understanding how the virus spreads and monitor the impacts that it is having on our environment. 

• Disaster forecast and recovery through the Copernicus programme 
  The Risk and Recovery activity of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service has relaunched to provide the world with on-demand geospatial information to forecast, prepare, and rebuild after an event. 

• Copernicus services: helping cities adapt to climate change 
  With the ever-growing impacts of climate change, more and more cities are realising they need to start adapting to a new reality where reliable data is needed. The Copernicus services are at hand to help the transition from a vulnerable to a resilient society. 

• Adapting to a changing ocean - A closer look at how the Copernicus Marine Service can empower adaptation to the rising, warming ocean 
  Accurate, global data such as those provided by the Copernicus Marine Service will be increasingly vital if we are to make well-informed decisions as we adapt to the Earth’s changing ocean and climate. 

• Evapotranspiration in the spotlight: how Copernicus helps
  Evapotranspiration is an important indicator when it comes to monitoring water needs and vegetation productivity of an area, however, its estimation is anything but easy - and this is where Copernicus products and data can help. 

• Cleaning our oceans with observations and models - Copernicus keeps track of plastic pollution in oceans 
  Space-based Earth Observation and in-situ measurements together with 3-Dimensional ocean model simulations can contribute to detecting and monitoring plastic pollution over oceans and areas that are difficult to access. 

• Drought monitoring over Western Europe 
  Combining the Leaf Area Index (LAI), an indicator of vegetation density provided by the Copernicus Global Land service at 300m spatial resolution, with data and models from Meteo-France over western Europe allows us to monitor severe droughts.