The UN Secretary-General has called for the creation of bold and innovative financial instruments to respond to climate change. Moreover, he has urged UN member states, international financial institutions, development partners and the private sector to achieve this by bringing new solutions through the COP process.

The Systematic Observations Finance Facility (SOFF) is a major response to the SG’s call. As the impacts of climate change are intensifying, it is crucial that we accelerate our understanding of the climate. SOFF will fill the gaps in basic weather and climate data which undermine the development of effective strategies to foster resilient development across the globe. By leading to better weather forecasts, early warning systems and climate information services, SOFF will save lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable people on our planet. Without it, international efforts to build climate resilience across the globe are likely to remain hamstrung.

The SOFF was announced and legally established on 3 November in Glasgow at an event hosted by the WMO, UNDP and UNEP, and attended by international partners, representatives of the beneficiary countries and of contributing partners at the highest political levels. The event represented a significant milestone, setting the scene for the successful establishment of the SOFF, and propelling it into its first phase of operation.