EMS Council meets in Reading

The EMS Council was invited to hold its 52nd Session in Reading, the first day at ECMWF, and the second day at the headquarters of the Royal Meteorological Society. This was the first session under the leadership of EMS President Liz Bentley.

Important decisions were taken to develop the EMS further.

• The establishment of the new Journal of the EMS is in its final throws to open the website for submissions; the scope of JEMS and the editorial board were approved, the way paved for the establishment of an international advisory board, and terms on the work of the editorial board settled. The website will go live by the end of April. Stay tuned.
• The EMS Silver Medallist and the recipients of the EMS Technology Achievement Award 2024 were selected and will be announced on our website shortly.
• Following the request of the Croatian Meteorological Society to move FEB in  Zagreb as venue for the EMS Annual Meeting to 2027 instead of 2025, the Council accepted an offer an by the Slovenian Meteorological Society to host the EMS2025 in Ljubliana. The Council approved Cankarjev Dom as the venue of the EMS Annual Meeting, with the dates 8 – 12 September 2025.
• Following the principal view of the EMS General Assembly 2023, the Council decided that the EMS will make a Pledge for EMS to become NetZero in its activities and operations, earlier than the timescale of the Paris agreement. The EMS, as a key player in the field of meteorology, should set an example with this, for others to follow. The final text for the pledge will be put to the next Council and the General Assembly with the aim is to sign off and announce at EMS2024 in Barcelona.
• Finally, activities to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the EMS were agreed upon, with a central programme point being a discussion at the Opening Session of the EMS2024, focusing on 25-years EMS and what the future holds. Invited panellist will include some of the welcome speakers, past-EMS- Presidents, earlier Young Scientist Award recipients.
  This event will replace the “standard” welcome addresses – opportunities for all stakeholders will be given to provide a video welcome address, possibly including statements on the 25year anniversary and history of the EMS; these will be released in the run-up to the conference and be on screen at the event in Barcelona.

Also, the status of the implementation of the EMS Strategic Plan as well as new Vision and Mission statements were discussed.

Topics for discussions at the next General Assembly on 1 September 2024 in Barcelona will include:

• Presentation on the new Journal of the EMS (JEMS)
• The NetZero pledge and roadmap
• The EMS Webinar series and how to continue
• The Terminology project revisited with the aim to revitalise interest

The Council also noted the anniversaries of the Slovenian (70 years) and the Spanish (60) Meteorological Societies and tasked to publicize this on the EMS Channels.