31 August 2010: The updated version of the Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC, including the revised list of Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Essential Climate Variables (ECVs), has been published.

The Plan contains 138 recommended actions that include agents for implementation, timelines, performance indicators and estimated costs. If fully implemented, these actions will substantially improve the availability of the observational information needed by all governments to understand, predict, and manage their response to climate and climate change.

The 2010 Implementation Plan updates the original version from 2004 and considers recent progress in science and technology, an increased focus on adaptation, efforts to optimize mitigation and the need for improved projections. The additional costs of implementing the plan are estimated at US$2.5 billion. The Plan was submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat for consideration by parties at the 33 rd session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), which will be held in conjunction with the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) in Cancún, Mexico, from 29 November-10 December 2010. [WMO Press Release] [Implementation Plan]