Revolutionising climate policy with Digital Twins – DestinE at European Young Leaders seminar

Destination Earth’s (DestinE) potential revolutionary impact to future climate policy making has been showcased at the recent European Young Leaders autumn seminar, “The Emperor Has No Clothes”.

Attended by some of Europe’s next generation leaders, the EYE OPENER session, “Digital twin Earth: will the climate science revolution transform climate policy?” was timely and was held with great interest. European Space Agency (ESA) Earth Observation Digital Twin Earth Applications Scientist Claudia Vitolo introduced DestinE as a tool that at present may seem novel in climate policy but will be integral for the audience of young leaders, both as users and as the main beneficiaries of tomorrow.

Central to the discussion was the pivotal role that the Digital Twin Earth framework could play in empowering decision-makers to test new or different policies or assess the impact of already existing environmental policies, effectively bridging the gap between scientific research and policy implementation.

“These Digital Twin applications are tailored for decision makers to understand the science and make it trickle down to policy” says Claudia Vitolo.

In raising questions about the political will required to fully harness this innovation, Claudia prompted a debate over whether a digital twin of Earth may mark a paradigm shift in the worldwide fight against climate change.  

The young leaders demonstrated an exceptional degree of engagement and enthusiasm. Their involvement in the session was apparent as they inquired into multiple facets of the topic: in particular, they were curious about the tool’s openness, seeking to understand how it could ensure transparency and accessibility to the public. Furthermore, potential risks associated with the incorrect use or misinterpretation of data were explored.

The European Young Leaders (EYL40) programme, also known as the “Young Leaders of Tomorrow” is intended to identify, connect, and empower the next generation of European leaders who demonstrate exceptional leadership potential and a commitment to shaping Europe’s future. It brings together a new generation of leaders capable of inspiring action and generating change.

Over the course of the event, a series of animated roundtable discussions on important global issues occurred, ranging from the ethics of Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence is the capacity of an algorithm to a More to the role of financial institutions in supporting the green transition. By organising an “EYE OPENER” session on the importance of digital twins for climate policy, the seminar provided an important opportunity to introduce and highlight the DestinE initiative to Europe’s future leaders.

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