WMO unveils new financing partnership initiative to safeguard forecasting backbone
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has unveiled a new initiative to safeguard the critical public backbone of weather forecasting which underpins trillions of dollars in economic value and supports global security.
- WMO Weather, Climate and Water Intelligence Commons announced at Investors Forum
- WMO Commons seeks to mobilize US$ 100 million over five years
- It will leverage billions in existing public sector investment
- Global public weather, water and climate infrastructure critically underfunded
The WMO Weather, Climate and Water Intelligence Commons (“WMO Commons”) was introduced at an Investors Forum bringing together the public and private sectors, development and private banks, philanthropists and humanitarian agencies. It will be formally launched in 2026.
“The WMO Commons is not a fund in the traditional sense. It is an investment in continuity and confidence - pooling public, philanthropic, and private resources to ensure that data flows freely, systems remain interoperable, and innovation reaches those who need it most,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
“Today, climate extremes are accelerating faster than our capacity to manage them. In 2024 alone, global weather-related losses reached 318 billion dollars - half of it uninsured. But with every dollar invested in early warnings and climate intelligence, we save up to fifteen. The logic is simple: resilience pays,” Celeste Saulo told the forum in Geneva.
“WMO’s mission is not charity — it is risk management at planetary scale. It is the foundation upon which sustainable finance, resilient supply chains, and stable societies depend,” she said.
WMO Assistant Secretary-General Thomas Asare outlined the WMO Commons rationale at the Forum, which took place on 27-28 October.
- The world depends on the global public infrastructure, yet it remains critically underfunded and increasingly fragile. From early warning systems to seasonal forecasts and longer-term climate outlooks, as well as risk analytics, WMO data and services power resilience across sectors and are relied upon daily by billions through consumer-facing platforms.
- However, market-driven approaches cannot ensure full coverage or system reliability, and emerging technologies like AI depend on robust public infrastructure and data to deliver reliable, authoritative, and equitable weather- , water-, and climate services.
- The WMO Commons responds to this need by pooling resources to sustain and modernize the backbone of the global weather, climate and water intelligence system, ensuring interoperability, quality, innovation, open access, institutional capacity, and user co-creation.
- In doing so, it secures trusted data and services as a global public good, while accelerating resilience, market stability, and collective security in the face of increasingly severe climate risks.
- For contributors, this represents one of the highest leverage investments available: every investment safeguards systems that underpin trillions of dollars in global economic activity.
The WMO Commons is built on a robust but straightforward architecture that ensures transparency, accountability, impact and sustainability. It is based on four pathways:
- Sustain and Optimize the Global Observing System
- Strengthen Global Data Interoperability and Prediction
- Expand High-Impact Services and Early Warnings
- Capacity and User Co-Creation
The two-day Investors Forum heard from senior representatives of banking, insurance and finance, technology companies, the aviation, shipping and commodity sectors, philanthropies and humanitarian actors, development banks and funders.
All use the WMO community’s weather, climate and water-data and insights in daily decisions and operations.
WMO Commons seeks to mobilize at least US$ 100 million over the next five years to close financing gaps in global weather, climate and water monitoring, prediction, and service delivery systems.
It seeks to leverage billions in existing public sector investment and complement the growing role of private sector investment. It reinforces existing climate financing mechanisms rather than duplicating them.
It will supplement the budget of WMO from Member contributions. WMO is the United Nations specialized agency on weather, climate and water and marks its 75th anniversary this year.
In her concluding remarks to the forum, Celeste Saulo highlighted the huge economic costs of weather disasters compared to investment in WMO.
In July 2023, a supercell storm hit the Swiss town of La Chaux de Fonds with wind gusts of more than 200 km/h. This storm lasted just over six minutes and - according to Swiss authorities - caused damages of more than 100 million Swiss francs. This is more than the annual budget of WMO, she said.
“As we conclude this Forum, we are only getting started. It shows what is possible when science, policy, and finance can align behind a shared mission. The WMO Commons is our vehicle to turn dialogue into action, through partnerships and investment that sustain and strengthen the global weather, water, and climate backbone,” she said.
Notes to Editors
For further information see WMO: Weathering the Change
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation in atmospheric science and meteorology.
WMO monitors weather, climate, and water resources and provides support to its Members in forecasting and disaster mitigation. The organization is committed to advancing scientific knowledge and improving public safety and well-being through its work.
For further information, please contact:
- Clare Nullis WMO media officer cnullis@wmo.int +41 79 709 13 97
- WMO Strategic Communication Office Media Contact media@wmo.int