At COP26, the European Union's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service announced new satellites to measure progress toward Paris Agreement goals.
Under the Paris Agreement, nations must develop climate action plans, implement mitigation measures, and report progress regularly. Yet, there's currently no global standard for monitoring anthropogenic emissions via atmospheric data. That's changing soon.
The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service—an EU initiative—partners with the European Space Agency (ESA) on the European CO2 Monitoring and Verification Support Capacity (CO2MVS). This satellite constellation is designed to track anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions from space.
The reveal came on November 2, 2021, during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. The system is slated to be operational from 2026.
Existing orbital instruments track atmospheric CO2 changes tied to natural carbon cycles, but they can't pinpoint industrial sources. CO2MVS promises to be a "game changer," enabling experts to identify specific emitters like power plants and fossil fuel facilities.
"Once deployed, these satellites will measure CO2 and methane concentrations with unprecedented near-real-time detail," stated program officials. Methane, though only 16% of global emissions, is 80 times more potent than CO2 in warming the planet.
The Paris Agreement mandates five-year progress reviews, with the first due by 2023. These satellites will enhance and validate 2028 reports, bolstering global accountability.
