New regulations regarding the protection of space, including Earth’s natural environment, are becoming part of the regulations that will apply to the activities of Polish entities in the space sector. On May 23, 2023, the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) signed the declaration of the European Space Agency (ESA) for sustainable development in the space sector. The signatories of this declaration are guided by values that emphasize the respect for natural resources while promoting harmonious and ethical societal development.

The European Space Agency and 22 organizations adopted the declaration on November 21, 2022, during a meeting of the ESA Council at ministerial level in Paris. As part of the ongoing GLOC 2023 (Global Space Conference on Climate Change) in Oslo from May 23 to 25, POLSA also joined this declaration. The Polish delegation is led by President of POLSA, Prof. Grzegorz Wrochna.

„Becoming a signatory to the declaration is a natural consequence of Poland’s activity in the international space sector. It is also a commitment to adhere to certain rules that align with the sustainable exploration of space, which also has effects on solving earthly issues. Climate change is one of them, and observing our planet from Earth’s orbit has been a breakthrough in weather modeling and climate research, which is fundamentally important for societies in various crucial aspects.” said the President of POLSA after signing the document.

The GLOC 2023 conference addresses topics related to space and climate change, with a particular focus on:

• The impact of climate change on the environment.
• Applications and services driven by climate change.
• The influence of changing climate on policy and law.
• Commercial opportunities created by changing climate.
• Current and future international cooperation in space missions related to climate change.
• The societal, communicative, economic, and cultural dimensions of environmental changes.

The conference program is directed towards the international community, including high-ranking representatives of major space agencies, industry, governments, decision-makers, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, as well as representatives from sectors unrelated to space, engaged in the climate change debate.