The Second International Conference “Climate Services: Science and Education” (https://cs2025.onu.edu.ua) took place in a hybrid mode during 16-18 April 2025,  and it was hosted by the Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University (ONU; https://onu.edu.ua/en; Odesa, Ukraine). This conference brought together over 170 participants from academic institutions, research organizations, governmental agencies, and civil society from Ukraine and European countries. The event aimed to foster dialogue between climate scientists, educators, policymakers, and service users to advance the development and integration of climate services into education, research, and decision-making processes.

Building on the outcomes of the first conference held in 2021, this year’s event focused on three major themes: (1) Advancing climate services through interdisciplinary science and innovation; (2) Integrating climate services into education and capacity-building programs; (3) Fostering partnerships between service providers and end-users for effective climate adaptation.

Topics of the conference focus were: (1) Issues of climate services in the areas such as agriculture and food security, energy, transport, construction and architecture, city management, healthcare, water management; (2) Education in climate services; and (3) Climate risks and adaptation to climate change on regional and local levels.

Special events – Round Table (RT) discussions – were also hosted during the conference: (1) RT discussions on “Fostering Climate Change Awareness and Cultivating Green Skills Among Youth for a Sustainable Future” was held in the framework of Erasmus+ project CLUVEX (https://www.atm.helsinki.fi/cluvex); (2) RT discussions on “Bridging the gap between provision climate services and needs of climate-dependent sectors” was held in the framework of Erasmus+ project ClimEd (http://climed.network); and (3) RT discussions on “Development of the INTENSE Doctoral School: Experience, Challenges, and Perspectives in Ukraine” was held in the framework of Erasmus+ project SUNRISE; and the Living Labs Training (Erasmus+ SUNRISE project) was also held.

The conference featured keynote speeches by leading climate and education experts, including representatives of the Erasmus+ ClimEd, CLUVEX, and SUNRISE projects, which also play a pivotal role in supporting climate-related capacity development in Ukraine. Participants presented the results of ongoing projects, discussed emerging challenges, and explored opportunities for scaling up best practices in climate education, data services, and user engagement.

The conference was a significant step toward strengthening national and regional networks for climate services and education. It emphasized the need for transdisciplinary approaches, inclusive learning environments, and stronger policy-science interfaces to support Ukraine’s climate resilience in the context of post-war recovery and sustainable development.

See details in agenda: https://cs2025.onu.edu.ua/programme See/ download delivered presentations: https://cs2025.onu.edu.ua/uploaded-presentations See/ download proceedings of the conference: https://cs2025.onu.edu.ua/proceedings See/ download photos: https://cs2025.onu.edu.ua/photos

Text by: Inna Khomenko, Valeriya Ovcharuk (ONU University), Alexander Mahura (Univ Helsinki)