Satellite remote sensing: Contributing to achieving the "dual carbon" target

On October 25, 2021, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its 2021 Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. According to the Bulletin, the global average concentration of CO2 reached 413.2 ppm in 2020, 149% of pre-industrial levels. The annual growth rate of CO2 concentration in 2019-2020 was higher than the average level from 2011-2020.

Climate change is a serious challenge facing all of humanity.

△Trends in major greenhouse gas changes in 2020

In March 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the Ninth Meeting of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission that achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality is a broad and profound systemic transformation of the economy and society. Carbon peaking and carbon neutrality should be incorporated into the overall layout of ecological civilization construction, and we should make a firm commitment to achieve the goals of carbon peaking before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060 on schedule.

The "dual carbon" target is a solemn commitment my country has made to the world, demonstrating China's firm determination to actively address climate change, pursue a green and low-carbon development path, and promote the common development of all mankind.

Satellite remote sensing: an important means of monitoring CO2

△Schematic diagram of global carbon sources and sinks monitored by China's carbon satellite (TanSat)

In the process of realizing the "dual carbon" vision, satellite remote sensing is becoming an important tool to support "dual carbon". Due to its wide coverage, stability, long-term data series, and high accuracy, satellite remote sensing has unique advantages in assessing the effectiveness of the "dual carbon" target implementation and has become an important means of monitoring atmospheric CO2.

Detecting CO2 concentration using satellite remote sensing is based on the principle of atmospheric absorption cells. CO2 has absorption capabilities in the near-infrared and short-wave infrared bands. When the near-infrared and short-wave infrared portions of solar radiation pass through the atmosphere, they are absorbed by CO2 molecules, forming unique CO2 absorption lines. These lines are received and recorded by satellite remote sensors. Based on the depth and shape of the spectral lines, combined with high-precision radiative transfer simulation calculations, the atmospheric CO2 concentration can be quantitatively retrieved.

With carbon monitoring satellites being launched one after another, international competition for initiative is intensifying.

In 2015, nearly 200 countries worldwide reached a consensus on carbon reduction and signed the Paris Agreement. The Agreement explicitly states that, starting in 2023, a global inventory will be conducted every five years to assess countries' emissions reduction performance and hold those countries accountable for inadequate action. Thus, The ability to control carbon monitoring data is directly related to a country's international initiative.

In recent years, countries around the world have become increasingly active in deploying carbon monitoring satellites. In 2009, Japan launched GOSAT-1, becoming the world's first hyperspectral resolution satellite dedicated to providing precise data on greenhouse gases CO2 and CH4. In 2014, the United States launched the OCO-2 carbon monitoring satellite. In 2019, the US deployed OCO-3 to the International Space Station to work in conjunction with its sister satellite, OCO-2.

△ Parameters of launched CO2 monitoring satellites

As early as 2011, my country officially launched the major project "Global Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Scientific Experiment Satellite and Application Demonstration" (China Carbon Satellite). On December 22, 2016, my country launched its first carbon dioxide observation scientific experimental satellite, TanSat, becoming the third country in the world to provide carbon satellite data. In 2021, based on observational data from the carbon satellite launched in 2016, a Chinese research team released a global carbon flux dataset, putting global carbon emission data in their own hands.

△On April 16, the world's first laser carbon dioxide detection satellite was successfully launched.

On July 16, 2021, the national carbon market launch ceremony was held simultaneously in Beijing, Shanghai, and Wuhan, officially commencing trading on the highly anticipated national carbon market. According to calculations by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the carbon emissions of enterprises included in the first batch of carbon market coverage currently exceed 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide. This means that China's carbon market will become the world's largest market covering greenhouse gas emissions. Industry experts predict that, based on current carbon price levels, the cumulative trading volume of the national carbon market is expected to reach 100 billion yuan by 2030, when carbon emissions peak.

In carbon market trading, carbon accounting is the foundation supporting large-scale carbon trading. Data from carbon emission monitoring is a crucial factor influencing carbon accounting.In carbon emission monitoring, satellite technology can be used to monitor carbon dioxide levels over the ocean, effectively complementing ground-based observations. The precise raw data from satellite monitoring can be used to obtain accurate carbon emission data through inversion algorithms, offering significant benefits for both domestic carbon market trading and overseas operations.

2023 marks the first global inventory mandated by the Paris Agreement, requiring all contracting parties to submit national emissions inventory reports on schedule. It is believed that satellite remote sensing technology will become a powerful tool for addressing global data gaps and transparency issues in national emissions inventory reporting, playing a crucial role in my country's efforts to achieve its dual-carbon goals and participate in global dual-carbon competition.

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