The optimised model for observing emissions through satellite data could offer a standardised way to monitor carbon emissions from power plants, which is currently lacking in global carbon accounting, the paper said.
The team, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Aerospace Information Research Institute, said the study results indicated “significant potential” for the use of satellite remote sensing technology in estimating carbon dioxide emissions.
“This framework provides a high-precision methodology for global carbon inventory, enabling retrospective analysis of historical data to detect anomalous emission events,” the researchers said.
According to the paper, the satellite-based method could also have a role to play in the monitoring of emissions from other sources, such as oil and gas fields or steel plants.
