The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and software firm Oxidian are collaborating on the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), one of the six operational services provided by Copernicus, the Earth Observation component of the European Union Space’s Programme.
Climate change is having a widespread impact on our planet, affecting everything from weather patterns to ecosystems and human health. Reliable access to good quality, trustworthy and reproducible climate data and information provides the foundation for understanding climate change, its impacts, and how we can respond.
NPL and Oxidian will provide the evaluation and quality control (EQC) function on behalf of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). This will ensure the accuracy and integrity of various climate information including climate indicators and derived data produced from climate projections and seasonal forecasts. EQC will also be performed on learning resources ranging from e-learning modules that describe characterisation of past, present and future climate states, to more technical data tutorials.
C3S, which is operationalised by the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Commission, delivers quality assured climate data and information about past, present and future states of the climate across Europe and worldwide. It has become a trusted and authoritative source for the international press and media as data confirms a string of record-breaking climate events and related impacts and is committed to enhance the quality, reliability, and usability of its climate data. By investing in this operational EQC function, C3S aims to empower users with the confidence and knowledge necessary to make informed decisions based on reliable climate data.
NPL will undertake scientific quality assessments of the C3S climate applications, indicators and derived datasets, while Oxidian will do it for the evaluation of learning resources and user engagement activities ensuring EQC material is relevant across the diverse C3S userbase.
Dr Joanne Nightingale, Principal Scientist, National Physical Laboratory (NPL) said: “We are thrilled to once again be instrumental in developing and performing the EQC of the vast array of climate datasets delivered by this critical service.”
Dr Cyrus Larijani, Strategic Business Development Manager - Space, National Physical Laboratory (NPL) said “This is an important programme to deliver trusted climate data in partnership with Oxidian and I'm delighted that NPL’s science is playing such an integral role in gaining greater insights into the health of our planet.”
Lauren Newell, Joint Head of EO & Climate, UK Space Agency said: "The UK is pleased to participate in Europe’s Copernicus programme, which plays a key role in advancing global climate science and providing information about our planet from its network of satellites. Through this new contract, the expertise of NPL and Oxidian will help empower decision-makers worldwide, giving them the confidence to take effective action, informed by reliable and relevant climate data.”
Daniel Tipping, Founder of Oxidian, said: "Everyone on Team Oxidian will be working hard to make sure Copernicus Climate Change Service’s data delights users and is the highest possible quality. I'd like to say a big thank you to Joanne Nightingale, who was the driving force of our proposal and is the backbone of the combined team. It's going to be a brilliant few years."
14 Apr 2025