May 27, 2021 • 2 min reading time
In 2023, the countries that have signed the Paris Climate Agreement will take stock of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. During the so-called Global Stocktake, a five-year global audit and inventories, countries can report on the progress made and share mitigation strategies. Anton Leemhuis, Senior Business Developer Space, and Hugo Denier van der Gon, Principal Scientist at TNO, explain TNO’s contribution to these crucial milestones.
APPLYING EXPERTISE
The Global Stocktake can only be effective based on objective data on the greenhouse gas emissions in the participating countries. This means, among other things, that the progress of the emission-limiting activities must be monitored. Currently, no worldwide measurement data is available for this and most emission data is based on estimates.
The EU sees an important role for satellite technology to quantify emissions using global, independent measurements. TNO is one of 25 partners from 14 countries working together on CoCO2 , a prototype system for global monitoring and verification of CO 2 emissions. ECMWF will lead the project. “In CoCO2, TNO will use satellite data to make emission inventories on a national scale,” explains Anton. The prototype is scheduled to be operational in 2023.
ACHIEVING AMBITIONS
TNO’s contribution to CoCO2 builds on an earlier project: CO 2 Human Emissions (CHE) . “In CHE, we have worked with European partners to build expertise in modelling, simulation techniques and emission inventories that simulate the spread of greenhouse gas plumes and thus form the basis for monitoring and observation in satellite systems and ground stations,” explains Hugo. With CoCO2 we apply our expertise in the field of satellite data in order to bring the system to life and prove that it is possible CO 2 emissions effectively and independently monitor. “
PROVIDE USEFUL DATA
The core of TNO’s work in the field of satellite monitoring and the processing of satellite data is the pursuit of useful, verifiable data. TNO’s expertise can be applied to gain insight into current emissions and to draw up action plans to limit them. Thanks to TNO’s expertise, objective, verifiable, quantified and publicly available data can be collected so that countries can account for the promises they have made under the Paris Agreement. They can then discuss mitigation strategies and step up their efforts to reduce emissions if necessary. Anton: “TNO helps create a level playing field, a playing field in which parties have equal opportunities and in which decisions are made on the basis of clear and irrefutable data.”
oCO2 will use measurement data from satellite systems to quantify emissions, such as the CO2M mission announced by ESA, or the TANGO mission
WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE FUTURE
TNO is at the forefront of innovations to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the long term. Anton: “With TNO’s expertise and experience, we can use satellite data and emission monitoring to help our partners achieve climate goals, for example by drawing up emission inventories on a national scale or by sources that emit the most greenhouse gases, such as power plants or industrial installations. to monitor.”
“But”, Hugo continues, “it is not the only project with which we contribute. We are of course proud to play a central role in CoCO2, but there is no time to rest on our laurels. We are already ready for new monitoring challenges to further contribute to achieving the climate goals.”
