Transforming Emissions Monitoring

Launched in July 2020, Climate TRACE is a global collaboration involving nonprofits, activists, technology firms, and universities. Gavin McCormick’s TED Talk gives a comprehensive overview of their initiatives and highlights their importance.

In essence, advancements in AI and Big Data allow for the near real-time monitoring of global greenhouse gas emissions with unprecedented precision. Climate TRACE has developed a platform that makes this data available to anyone with internet access or a smartphone. Here’s a key takeaway from their recent report:

> "Climate TRACE’s approach provides stakeholders with new insights into where emissions sources are located, when emissions-producing activities occur, and how much emissions arise from these activities." — Climate TRACE, Bringing Radical Transparency to Global Emissions

Having compiled a greenhouse gas inventory in my previous role at a local school district, I can attest to the challenges involved in creating these inventories. They often rely on assumptions and estimations due to incomplete data, are self-reported, and are difficult to verify. Emission calculations can vary significantly between similar organizations based on methodologies. Current GHG inventories are frequently outdated, fragmented, and lack comprehensiveness.

> "If we’re truly committed to combating climate change, we can only manage what we measure, and we need more data." — Gavin McCormick

Gavin emphasizes that we cannot solely depend on polluters for emissions data and cannot afford to analyze this information years after emissions have occurred. For urgent climate action, real-time, localized emissions data is crucial for effective decision-making and prioritizing efforts for maximum impact.

I have previously discussed using the Pareto principle to identify which countries, sectors, or companies should be prioritized for decarbonization to achieve significant emissions reductions. Thanks to Climate TRACE, our decision-making capabilities can now be enhanced even further.

Here are several reasons why this data is invaluable for stakeholders in decarbonization efforts:

• Current events, like the COVID-19 pandemic, can be monitored for their impact on global emissions in real-time. This includes disruptions caused by activist events, such as farmers' protests in India. Additionally, assessing the effectiveness of climate policies at all levels will be significantly easier.
• Difficult-to-quantify emissions sources, like land-use changes or factory farming, can now be monitored with greater accuracy. Rapid actions can be taken to address emissions from land use by pinpointing when and where changes occur. In terms of deforestation, this data can guide activism and policy efforts to protect biodiversity hotspots and indigenous territories.
• Companies can leverage this data to better understand emissions within their supply chains, allowing for targeted decarbonization efforts on the highest-emitting suppliers, thus addressing significant Scope 3 emissions. More precise emissions data will also facilitate better shipping decisions, integrating emissions considerations alongside cost and lead time.
• Nations and corporations can be held accountable for reported emissions, with data that can be verified by anyone. This will enable near real-time tracking of countries' progress toward GHG reduction targets, applying effective pressure to ensure they meet their commitments.

This is just the beginning, as further enhancements are on the horizon.

Future Developments

The initial Climate TRACE emissions inventory was released in September 2021, and the system is set to evolve continually, enhancing its utility as a global emissions monitoring tool.

Exciting advancements include:

• Improved temporal resolution, allowing for monitoring of emissions changes on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis across various sectors.
• Enhanced spatial resolution, providing data on individual emissions sources like specific factories or ships, including sources previously excluded from GHG inventories.

Although not mentioned in the Climate TRACE report, storing some data on blockchains could be beneficial for ensuring immutability, decentralization, and transparency, enhancing confidence in the data's integrity.

In conclusion, Climate TRACE is revolutionizing emissions monitoring. It offers unprecedented accessibility, accuracy, and accountability, with the potential for continuous improvement. Most importantly, it exemplifies the power of collaboration and open sharing in addressing climate challenges.

If you found this article interesting, you might also like:

• We Need to Pareto Our Way Out of Climate Disaster
  • Utilizing the Pareto principle can help the world achieve emissions reductions faster.
• Climate Action Planning at the Local Level
  • An interview with the City of San Rafael’s Sustainability Program Manager.
• Where’s the Emergency Response to Our Global Public Health Crisis of Pollution?
  • Pollution isn’t just a local problem; it’s a planetary threat.

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