September 30, 2015

Inauguration of CNES’s Climate Dome Presentation of MicroCarb satellite

Wednesday 30 September, President François Hollande officially inaugurated the CNES Climate Dome in the courtyard of the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, where CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall played host to Mr Hollande, Ségolène Royal, the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Emmanuel Macron, the Minister of the Economy, Industry and Digital Technologies, and Thierry Mandon, Secretary of State in charge of Higher Education and Research, for a guided tour.

Jean-Yves Le Gall today presented CNES’s Climate Dome to President François Hollande in front of members of the press, showcasing the many tools that satellites offer to predict, anticipate and respond to climate change and its effects. In his speech, President Hollande underlined the key role of space and commended CNES for its work on the eve of the COP 21 climate conference to be held in Paris from 30 November to 11 December. Jean-Yves Le Gall also showed the President the MicroCarb satellite, to be launched in 2020, which is set to map sources of carbon, the main greenhouse gas. With MicroCarb, it will be possible to acquire local measurements of carbon emissions and thus verify that commitments made by nations at the COP 21 conference are being honoured.

Last June, at the 51st Paris Air Show, some 10,000 enthusiasts queued in front of the CNES pavilion every day to see the Climate Dome, which presents the agency’s missions and the key contributions space is making to climate research. The Dome particularly impressed Ségolène Royal, the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, who asked if it could be set up within the walls of her ministry, where it will now remain until the COP21 conference is over. It will be open to schools and the public until December, to allow French citizens to see the major climate challenges facing us and the role space is playing in tackling them.

Commenting on today’s event, Jean-Yves Le Gall said: “It is a huge honour for CNES to see this Climate Dome on display in the magnificent setting of the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, and I thank Ségolène Royal for giving us this opportunity. Today, we presented CNES’s climate-focused activities to President Hollande and I am pleased that our Dome will be staying here at the ministry until the end of the COP 21 conference so that French citizens can come and see how we are helping to preserve the planet.”

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Contacts
Pascale Bresson    Tel. +33 (0)1 44 76 75 39    pascale.bresson@cnes.fr
Alain Delrieu    Tel. +33 (0)1 44 76 74 04    alain.delrieu@cnes.fr
Julien Watelet    Tel. +33 (0)1 44 76 78 37    julien.watelet@cnes.fr

cp178-2015_-_dome_climat_va.pdf (pdf - 234.01 KB)
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