The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) is a research programme that studies the phenomenon of Global Change, focusing in particular on the interactions between biological, chemical and physical processes that define Earth System dynamics, changes that are occurring therein and the role of human systems as agents in these changes. It collaborates with other programmes (World Climate Research Programme, International Human Dimensions Programme and DIVERSITAS) to develop and communicate the understanding necessary to respond to global change.

The IGBP-ESA Joint Project Office operated under a rolling 3-year accord between IGBP and ESA whose focus is to identify and develop new products and services based on ESA satellites and sensors for the benefit of the IGBP community, through the establishment of an IGBP seconded scientist at the ESA ESRIN facility. Specifically, this accord envisions the following scheduled activities:

• Support the secondment of and IGBP seconded scientist working at ESRIN. In particular, support for work linking the Glob family of projects (GlobCarbon, GlobCover, GlobColour, GlobAerosol, GlobIce, GlobModel) to relevant projects and programmes within IGBP and the wider Earth System Science Partnership (ESS-P);
• Support to explicitly link the GlobCarbon work to IGBP research, specifically, the Global Carbon Project (GCP). The GCP is undertaking a major effort on data-model fusion over the coming few years, which could benefit strongly and directly from the GlobCarbon work at ESRIN;
• Promote the global change science activities taking place within ESA to IGBP and ESS-P, making sure that the ESA activities are visible to these organisations and their individual programmes as well as representing the needs and activities of the various IGBP and ESS-P programmes to the ESA Earth Observation Directorate.