Weathernews Inc. participated in the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from November 30 to December 11, and spoke at the Asian Development Bank Pavilion as well as a side event at the Japan Pavilion.

Weathernews shared its progress and achievements in supporting climate change adaptation measures in the Asian region. Specifically, we introduced our efforts in disaster prevention support and climate risk analysis services provided to businesses and the deployment of an observation infrastructure. Additional information about the needs of Asian countries and examples of the use of weather information was shared, including comments from federal and local government officials and service users in Thailand and Vietnam, with whom we collaborate. In addition, while it is said that the private sector is not sufficiently involved and active in the field of "adaptation" compared to "mitigation" in climate change countermeasures, Weathernews’ efforts were introduced as an example of concrete activities in the "adaptation" field where the public and private sectors work together on an ongoing basis. We had meaningful discussions with government officials, companies, and organizations that participated in the event.

Since our founding, we have developed our weather information services with the desire to be of service to people in times of emergency, and have established cooperative relationships with governments and municipalities around the world. We are also working on the quantitative analysis of physical risks due to climate change and weather monitoring services. With a renewed desire to protect the future of the Earth, we will continue to face the changes in the global environment caused by climate change head-on, minimize loss and damage, and develop weather information services outside of Japan in cooperation with related governments and companies.

The venue of COP28 and the Japan Pavilion

Supporting Adaptation and Mitigation for Climate Change

Since its founding in 1986, Weathernews has provided weather solution services in 50 nations worldwide. In Japan, it has developed a proprietary observation network ten times larger than the Japan Meteorological Agency's network. Weathernews also collects 180,000 reports per day from its weather application users, and this weather data is used to enhance its proprietary weather database. This weather database is utilized to improve weather forecasts and sophisticate weather information services which are provided to businesses in various industries such as navigation, aviation, and terrestrial transport, as well as applications for individual users.
Weathernews also provides services for mitigating and adapting to risks from climate change, such as helping the reduction of CO2 emissions through ship routing support, predicting the supply and demand of products and materials in the supply chain, and optimizing inventory management to minimize food loss.
In recent years, companies have been required to assess and disclose climate change risks for the purpose of corporate resilience, and in June 2022, Weathernews established a new Climate Tech division to support such corporate climate change initiatives. Climate Tech provides services to quantitatively analyze and assess the physical risks associated with climate change risks. Based on the concept of backcasting, the results of "Climate Impact" analysis are reflected in corporate business continuity management and business continuity plans. The latest weather information can be checked on "Weathernews for Business" to quickly detect facilities that may be affected by rain and wind, and take countermeasures, thereby helping to avoid and mitigate risks.Going forward, we will continue to reinforce our infrastructure network outside of Japan for quantitative analysis of climate change risks, adaptive measures to risks using weather information, and service quality enhancement. 

Global Development of Weather and Climate Risk Advisory Services

Weathernews has been expanding services globally in the maritime and aviation industries. Its next plan is to develop a weather database in urban areas of Thailand and Vietnam with the same density as Japan's AMeDAS(Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System) to provide weather information and disaster prevention advisory as quickly as possible. The observation equipment deployed will be used for high frequency nowcasting and service content. In a joint workshop with UNESCO and local governments in the east African region, Weathernews used its AI chatbot in discussing support for disaster recovery. 

The Role of the Private Sector and Public-Private Partnerships

While the JMA is responsible for issuing warnings in Japan, Weathernews provides high-resolution, high-precision information using its own observation network to deliver your weather information. Its detailed weather forecasts and decision-support services are tailored to the unique needs of individuals, businesses, and governments.Weathernews will continue its efforts to reduce weather risks and climate change risks, ultimately aiming to become a communication platform for all of the world's eight billion people, working with other countries to develop new and innovative services to reduce risks both at home and abroad.

The venue of COP28 and the Japan Pavilion

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