## 3 Results on EO Policies and Decision-Making Structures
### Essential Climate Variables  
In accordance with the requirements of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), outlined in the Second GCOS Adequacy Report [35], a set of Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) have been defined by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). Figure 3 provides a representation of the whole set of variables, their related geophysical areas and concerned organisations. GCOS is a program that systematically evaluates the status of global climate observations and offers guidance for their enhancement. Additionally, GCOS facilitates and encourages the accessibility of climate observations for both national and international organisations. At present, there are 54 variables that comprehensively represent the observations needed to consistently monitor Earth's climate and other physical and biological changes. Experts regularly develop plans to maintain, coordinate and improve these physical, chemical, and biological observations. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline  & **Very High Resolution** & **High Resolution** & **Medium Resolution** & **Low Resolution** \\ \hline  & **VHR1** & **VHR2** & **HR1** & **HR2** & **MR1** & **MR2** & **LR** \\ \hline _resolution (R)_ & R \(\leq\) 1 m & 1 \(<\) R \(\leq\) 4 m & 4 \(<\) R \(\leq\) 10 m & 10 \(<\) R \(\leq\) 30 m & 30 \(<\) R \(\leq\) 100 m & 100 \(<\) R \(\leq\) 300 m & R \(>\) 300 m \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Resolution classes definition. Figure 3: From the 56 ECVs, 36 (highlighted in green) rely on EO data. Some of the concerned organisations are depicted on the top right of each ECV. The concerned organisations are given as examples since many more are involved in providing products for each ECV. For example, nine organisations are involved in providing data for the Precipitation ECV. Only NASA manages the Lightening ECV and only ESA is responsible for the Ocean Colour ECV. The star represents a future engagement of ESA in the Permafrost ECV. ECVs hold paramount importance in our comprehension and prediction of the Earth's climate system. The variables encompass critical parameters such as temperature, precipitation, atmospheric and oceanic circulation, and greenhouse gas concentrations, among others. The significance of ECVs arises from their fundamental role as key indicators of climate change. By consistently monitoring these variables, scientists can detect trends, patterns, and anomalies within the climate system, providing essential insights into its state, behaviour, and potential impacts on ecosystems, society, and the economy. Furthermore, ECVs serve as the foundation for climate modelling and forecasting, facilitating the projection of future climate scenarios. This, in turn, empowers policy makers to make informed decisions on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Moreover, ECVs play a pivotal role in international climate agreements, providing standardised parameters for assessing global climate change. The availability of consistent ECV data supports evidence-based decision making, allowing policy makers to formulate effective climate policies and strategies [36]. Next, we identify four ECVs that currently benefit from satellite medium resolutions but for which spatial resolution could eventually be increased due to allow for the monitoring of the two specific habitats addressed in this paper. Sea Surface Temperature (SST) is vital for the climate system as it influences energy, momentum, and gas exchanges between the ocean and atmosphere. SST largely controls the ocean-atmosphere interaction at both weather and climate time scales. Daily SST variations exceed 3 degrees Celsius, impacting the surface energy budget by over 10 Wm-2 in the tropics and subtropics. SST and its gradients are crucial for atmospheric-ocean coupling, particularly in sub-seasonal to seasonal predictions. SST patterns reveal ocean dynamics, including fronts, eddies, coastal upwelling, and exchanges between coastal and open ocean regions.