Copernicus LCFM operational successor for ESA WorldCover

The ESA WorldCover project has successfully delivered global 10 m land cover maps for the reference years 2020 and 2021. With the completion of this demonstrator initiative and release of the new Copernicus Land Cover and Tropical Forest Monitoring (LCFM) products, users are now invited to transition to the operational Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) ensuring long-term continuity and annual updates of high-resolution land cover information.

ESA WorldCover was launched to demonstrate the feasibility of producing global land cover maps at 10 m resolution using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data. The project achieved its objectives by delivering consistent and high-quality global datasets for two reference years, highlighting the potential of high-resolution land cover mapping for environmental and climate applications.

The ESA WorldCover initiative had a defined objective and dedicated funding to produce the global land cover maps for the two reference years 2020 and 2021. In response to the high quality of the WorldCover products and the strong demand from the user community, the continued provision of global land cover information is now ensured through the LCFM products, which are produced under the operational Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) and made accessible via the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem. The first two LCFM products were released in June 2025:

• LCM-10: the 10 m Global Land Cover Map for 2020
• TCD-10: 10 m Pan-Tropical Tree Cover Density Map for 2020

The LCM-10 product is an operational successor to ESA WorldCover product. It builds on improved methodologies implemented by VITO Remote Sensing, delivering enhanced consistency and accuracy. Unlike WorldCover, LCFM is designed as a long-term operational service. Consistent annual land cover maps for 2021 and subsequent years are planned for release, with the service expected to become fully operational by 2028.

All LCFM products are fully integrated into the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem and are easily accessible via the Copernicus Browser, S3 and OData. The product documentation is available through the CLMS portal.

With its improved methodology and commitment to regular updates, LCFM ensures continuity for the global land cover user community and provides a stable foundation for future applications in environmental monitoring, climate reporting, and policy support.

For any further questions or user support we kindly refer you to submit a contact request via: 

• Terrascope: for any technical questions related to the ESA WorldCover 2020 – 2021 maps
• Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS): for any general questions about the CLMS and LCFM products and services
• Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem (CDSE): for any technical questions about data access. You can use the general contact form or submit a request via your CDSE account

Want to explore more about the Copernicus Land Cover and Tropical Forest Monitoring (LCFM) products and the first products released in June 2025, check this blog post written by Joris Coddé, one of the scientists behind the new LCFM products.