NERC is to fund the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) for a further five years, signing a new contract worth £23m with the University of Leicester, which began on 1st October 2014.  Surrey is part of the NCEO team, with Ian Roulstone as node leader. NCEO was set up in 2008 to get the most out of satellite data for environmental science. It provides decision-makers in government and business with vital evidence to help them meet major environmental challenges. NCEO scientists have played a key role in understanding the current state of the climate, including changes in surface temperatures, concentrations of greenhouse gases and changes in the Arctic. In future, the NCEO will provide scientists and public bodies with rapid access to data to help them respond to environmental incidents, such as floods, droughts and extreme weather.