GHGSat, a global leader in greenhouse gas emissions intelligence, recently announced plans to measure methane and carbon dioxide emissions at every major industrial site worldwide, every day, by 2026. These will include oil & gas production and storage facilities, waste management centres, coal mines, power stations, steel mills, aluminium smelters, chemical plants and cement works. The goal is to provide accurate, independent and site-specific data on a global basis, so industrial operators, governments and other stakeholders can better understand, control and reduce emissions.
GHGSat, which is headquartered in Montreal, Que., will take over two million facility measurements this year using its unique fleet of 12 space-based high-resolution sensors – the biggest greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring constellation in the world. The company also provides data to the United Nations, NASA, the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency. GHGSat’s monitoring ambition leans on the rapid expansion of its constellation and deployment of new proprietary technologies and combines their measurements with third-party information in order to cover c.5m+ industrial locations worldwide.
Better emissions data is an urgent and growing need. The 2015 Paris Agreement committed signatories to produce a Global Stocktake of emissions every five years. This year’s Synthesis Report on Global Stocktake Elements noted that “near all Parties acknowledged that emissions are not in line with current modelled global mitigation pathways consistent with the long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.”
Industrial operators need actionable insight in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their day-to-day operations and supply chains. By pinpointing both the quantity and source of emissions, down to the level of an individual oil well or storage tank, GHGSat’s high resolution observations help ensure that emission mitigation efforts are targeted for maximum impact. Emissions equivalent to c.15m tonnes of CO2 have already been mitigated as a result, and with added monitoring capacity, GHGSat expects to accelerate mitigation significantly.
From left to right: Hubert Bolduc, President, Investissement Québec International, Stephane Germain, President and CEO, GHGSat, Janie Béïque, President and CEO, FTSQ et Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montréal region. (Credit: Mylène Alotto, Investissement Québec)
Better information on the magnitude and distribution of leaks will improve the accuracy of national pollution inventories, including the Global Stocktake, as well as climate models. Independent data can help cross-validate readings from other sources, such as in-situ industrial monitors, building confidence in ESG reporting and the $1 trillion global carbon trading market.
Stephane Germain, GHGSat founder and CEO said: “Monitoring emissions from every industrial site, every day, isn’t just an ambition: it is an achievable objective. As the global leader in emissions intelligence from space, GHGSat has the technology and track record to make this happen.”
“Thanks to its innovations, GHGSat is a key player in the fight against climate change. Its satellites are already participating in the decarbonization of the economy not only in Quebec, but also in the rest of the planet,” said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montréal region.
Featured image credit: GHGSat.
