Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) is a significant Norwegian, in fact, international, program that addresses climate change, and aims to protect the world’s tropical forests. This Panel, comprised of policy makers and Earth observation experts, will discuss opportunities and challenges, using NICFI as a model, for a Global Climate Initiative.

In this session the potential of Earth Observation for evidence-based policy and informed decision making is explored by discussing: • Objective Truth in an Uncertain World: The Role of Earth Observation in Policymaking • From Hurdles to Toeholds: Strengthening Conditions and Structures for Evidence Based Policy • Earth Observation Research for informed decisions • Scaling Up Ideas: Operationalizing Earth Observation for Real-Time Decision-Making