Researchers have developed a model that can calculate individual countries' carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning using observations from space.
Researchers have developed a model that can calculate individual countries' carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning using observations from space. The new results could be put to use within the Earth observation programme Copernicus, when satellites will be sent into space in the coming years.
At the COP26 climate summit, the nations of the world agreed on a new document that for the first time mentions phasing out coal and fossil fuels, and reiterates the Paris Agreement's 1.5-degree target. To reach this goal, a drastic reduction in emissions is required.
Today, individual states report their own carbon dioxide emissions based on activity data such as energy use. The accuracy of these estimates varies greatly depending on the quality of activity data, as well as the processes that have been taken into account. It is also not homogeneous around the globe and comes with quite some delay.
In the future, there are plans to establish a global system based on independent satellite measurements. In a new study published in the scientific journal Environmental Research Letters, researchers at Lund University, among others, have investigated the potential of the satellite-based measurements.
Read more at: Lund University
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