Watching from Above: Satellites Report on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The increase in high-quality satellite imagery, along with advances in AI and machine learning, is allowing for real-time monitoring of carbon emissions, methane emissions, deforestation, and more.

Environmental agreements, like the Paris Agreement, are hard to enforce without independently verified data. Satellites, which help democratize data, are set to play a growing role in holding companies and countries accountable for living up to emissions pledges.

Governments are taking note and using satellite data to hold companies and other countries accountable. "We are going to have a time of radical climate transparency," said Andrew Zolli, VP of global impact initiatives at Planet.

Who’s Watching?

Many organizations—advocacy groups, oil and gas companies, startups, and more—are using drones and satellites to collect, analyze, and share data on emissions. Here are some looking specifically at carbon emissions and levels in the atmosphere.

FROM AXIOS

Planet uses satellites to capture images of the Earth frequently and in high resolution. It works with a massive, ever-growing collection of images as well as AI-driven analysis tools to process insights about changes in the planet and opportunities for sustainability. 

Flaring Monitor uses Planet and NASA data in a fully automated process to track flares emitted by companies burning off extra natural gas. It has already found that Shell appears to be doing better on flaring than some other large energy companies.

Climate TRACE, a collaboration among Al Gore, RMI, TransitionZero, WattTime, and others, is slated to go live later this year. It aims to use AI and machine learning to analyze satellite imagery for more exact national and facility-level carbon emissions estimates. 

John Kerry, President Biden's special envoy for climate, cited Climate TRACE during the White House climate summit on Earth Day and has hinted at it being part of an "accountability structure." Kerry said, "There’s no hiding anymore, and there’s going to be real-time tracking." 

Satellite technology is a big step in transitioning from measuring how much carbon dioxide is building up in the air to pinpointing exactly where it's coming from.

It seems like satellites will look down on companies releasing emissions.