According to the Global Carbon Project, global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels reached a record 36.8 billion tonnes in 2023, underscoring the urgent need for accurate and timely emissions data.

Source : Global Carbon Project

Emission inventories for pollutants and greenhouse gases are critical tools for policymakers, governments, and affiliated bodies to assess progress on mitigation strategies and shape future actions. Traditional bottom-up inventories—built on national statistics and sector-specific data—vary significantly between countries and carry substantial uncertainties due to inconsistent methodologies, activity data, and emission factors. To address these gaps, satellite-based observations of atmospheric composition can provide a valuable complement, improving the accuracy, timeliness, and spatial and temporal resolution of emission inventories. This project is dedicated to developing a global emission monitoring service by generating top-down emissions estimates derived from satellite data. These scientifically validated estimates will be cross-compared with bottom-up inventories in close cooperation with key end-user organizations.

Launched on 2 October 2024 with an extended two-year mandate , the project will not only continue and improve its current services and data products, but also broaden its scope. New areas of focus include support for national greenhouse gas and air pollution inventory reporting, monitoring of maritime emissions (in coordination with the SUP EO4SEM initiative), and meeting financial sector needs, particularly regarding methane emissions.