iClimateAction Webinar Series,February 2026
In early 2026, iClimateAction (iCA) launched a targeted series of technical webinars to prepare participants for the upcoming GCOS‑WGClimate‑iClimateAction Joint Meeting (Harwell, United Kingdom, 9–13 February).
The meeting will gather specialists in climate observations, data systems, and knowledge infrastructures from GCOS, WMO, GEO and partner organisations.
The aim is clear: to lay the technical groundwork for the new GCOS Status Report and set the stage for the next phase of iClimateAction. By giving participants shared reference points and a realistic sense of today’s data landscape, the webinars help ensure that the discussions in Harwell can focus on identifying gaps, refining priorities, and defining actionable next steps.
Webinar – SAGE Data Space: Trusted Sharing Without Centralising Data
The first webinar spotlighted the SAGE Data Space, presented by our technical coordinator, Mark Dietrich. This session set the tone for the series by addressing one of the most fundamental challenges in the climate data ecosystem: how to share data in a trustworthy, consistent and secure way—without forcing it into a single repository.
Data Stays With the Holder — and That’s the Point
A recurring point throughout the discussion was a crucial clarification:
data spaces do not centralise data.
Instead, with SAGE:
- Data remains with its original custodians.
- Providers maintain control over visibility and access.
- Sensitive or non‑open data can still be shared under clear, enforceable conditions.
SAGE provides the technical, legal and governance framework that allows this to happen. By linking existing sources rather than replacing them, it enables interoperability while respecting organisational mandates, confidentiality requirements and sovereignty concerns.
In other words: SAGE is not another data portal. It is an infrastructure for trusted connection.
Real-World Use Cases in SAGE: From Forest to Textile
What makes SAGE compelling is not only its architecture, but its focus on practical, demonstrable value. The project is testing and refining its approach through ten real‑world use cases:
- Air Quality and Health Dataspace (EIRENE)
- Building Environment CO₂ (BECO₂)
- Forest Data Space (FDS)
- Global Environmental Exposure Dataspace (GEESE)
- Nature and Ecosystem Services Trade-offs (NECST)
- Pollinator Monitoring Data Space (PMDS)
- Remote Sensing for National Forest Inventories
- Soil Circularity
- Textile Circularity
- Zero Defect Manufacturing (ZDM)
These examples illustrate how better data connections can reduce duplication, shorten analysis time, and support more informed decision-making. In several cases, SAGE’s tools even help organisations meet emerging environmental reporting requirements more efficiently—an increasingly pressing need across Europe.
By the end of the session, participants emerged with a clearer understanding of what a modern data space like SAGE can offer:
Interoperability without centralisation, collaboration without data loss, and innovation built on respect for data ownership.
