The latest development in this cooperation took place at the Residence of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, where, over the course of two days in October, 19 leading scientists from the Netherlands and the US came together to exchange expertise on greenhouse gases, reactive gases, and clouds and aerosols.

The workshop was supported by the Partners for International Business program, “Netherlands Industries for Cooperation with US Space Industry.” 

Satellite remote sensing of gases, clouds, and aerosols plays a crucial role in climate research by providing comprehensive and continuous monitoring of atmospheric composition over large areas. This research allows scientists to track the distribution and transport of pollutants on scales from local to global, which would be impossible with ground-based measurements alone.  

During the workshop, experts discussed ways to leverage scientific data from existing bilateral collaborations on climate satellites and increase visibility of lesser-known collaborative projects. Attendees also charted the avenues of future collaboration in areas such as integration of data in models, wildfires and biomass burning, and sub-orbital observations.  

The findings of the conference resulted in a white paper that identifies key deliverables to sustain and enhance the strong collaboration between the Netherlands and the US. The white paper includes direct recommendations to further cooperation in the fields of greenhouse gases, reactive gases, and clouds and aerosols, as well as identification for collaborations in fields that include at least two of these themes.  

On December 9, the scientists will be welcomed to the Netherlands Embassy in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the publishing and discuss next steps.  

As the white paper states, “We believe that by coming together, we can further enhance and strategize our cooperation and achieve significant advancements in the field of space and climate.”