Earth observation satellites and Remote Sensing play an important role in ensuring global sustainable development. This was one of the unanimous agreements to come out of the World Summit on Sustainable Development that took place in Johannesburg from the 26 August to the 04 September 2002. Despite the controversy that surrounded the summit there was no doubt that space technology is vital in providing necessary data on many of the environmental and social concerns behind the event.
The programme outlines and illustrates the passages in the Summit's final documents that deal with the use of space technology and services.
The programme comprises of an A-roll with split track and English commentary and is complemented by a B-Roll with clean international sound.

10:00:41:00 VO: The 2002 World Summit on sustainable development - perhaps the most important gathering of the global community to date ? took place in Johannesburg last week. Its goal was to find practical responses to the challenges of improving the lives of all human beings, while still protecting the environment.
10:00:59:00 The usefulness of space technologies and applications contributing to sustainable development has been included in the draft Plan for Implementation discussed at the summit and ESA sent a delegation of experts to highlight the role that satellites have played.
10:01:16:00 VO: For three decades, earth observation satellites have been orbiting the globe, scrutinizing every aspect of our planet whether on the surface, above or beneath it.
10:01:28:00 VO: But today's agenda for Earth Observation from Space has moved on from its initial application in weather forecasting and is now dominated by different issues: understanding global change; the management of natural resourc