Space has become an important front in the fight against climate change. Tracking greenhouse gas emissions is a fruitful collaboration between public space agencies and private companies. For example, the Canadian company GHGsat uses satellites to locate methane leaks in oil and gas fields. Other companies such as Absolute Sensing and Kairos are also entering this space. Although government agencies are essential, public-private partnerships are playing an important role.
Space agencies, such as the European Union’s Copernicus and NASA, are launching new missions and deploying satellites to make more precise measurements. These technological advances make it possible to measure what was previously thought impossible. In addition to scientific missions, weather satellites collect important data that help to understand global climate change and improve scientific models.
These satellite technologies can also contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. For example, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) collaborates with the private sector to collect information on atmospheric humidity and temperature. Better forecasts based on this data can help reduce the impact of natural disasters.
According to one report, if current satellite technologies were universally adopted, carbon emissions could be reduced by up to 5.5 gigatonnes, quadrupling current reductions. These technologies can help decarbonize sectors such as aviation and shipping by optimizing routes and managing air traffic.
In short, space plays an essential role in the fight against climate change. Emissions monitoring, scientific missions and weather satellites, a collaboration between space agencies and private companies, are providing critical data and enabling better forecasts to adapt to and mitigate climate change. The widespread use of these satellite technologies could result in significant emissions reductions.
