世界经济论坛-全球未来空间理事会-净零空间（英）-2021.9-22页_12mb

Summary of "Global Future Council on Space: Space for Net Zero"

Core Content

This white paper by the World Economic Forum outlines the critical role of space technologies in monitoring and mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to achieve global net-zero targets. It emphasizes the importance of satellite data in understanding climate change and the need for integrated, global approaches to GHG monitoring and climate science.

Main Points

• Climate Change as a Global Challenge: Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges, and achieving net-zero GHG emissions is essential to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. Current national pledges fall short of this goal.

• Role of Space Technologies: Satellites are vital for monitoring GHG emissions and understanding Earth's climate system. They provide high-resolution, global data on essential climate variables that are not fully measurable from the ground.

• Essential Climate Variables Measurable from Space: Over 50% of essential climate variables can only be measured from space, including atmospheric and oceanic properties, and terrestrial elements such as land cover and ice dynamics.

• Key GHG Emissions: The primary GHGs affecting climate are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). CO₂ is the most significant due to its abundance and long atmospheric lifetime, while CH₄, though more potent per molecule, has a shorter lifespan.

• Current Satellite Missions: Several satellites are currently monitoring GHG emissions, such as GOSAT, GOSAT-2, OCO-2, OCO-3, and Sentinel-5P. These missions provide critical data for understanding climate change and its drivers.

• Future Missions: New missions are planned, including the Surface Water Ocean Topography, NISAR, CLARREO Pathfinder, PACE, and GeoCarb. These will enhance our ability to monitor GHG emissions and understand their impact on the climate.

• Gaps in Understanding: Despite existing satellites, gaps remain in the integration of data, modeling, and coordination. A more holistic approach is needed to address these gaps and improve mitigation efforts.

• Need for an Earth Operations Centre: The paper calls for the development of an Earth Operations Centre, a multidisciplinary facility that would leverage space data and expertise to support global net-zero efforts, improve decision-making, and manage emission data effectively.

• Commercial and Non-Governmental Contributions: Companies like GHGSat and non-profits like the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) are developing high-resolution satellites to monitor GHG emissions at the facility level, complementing public-sector efforts.

Key Information

• Satellite Missions and Their Roles:

  • GOSAT and GOSAT-2: Japan's missions for measuring GHGs.
  • OCO-2 and OCO-3: NASA's missions for CO₂ monitoring.
  • Sentinel-5P: ESA's satellite for atmospheric trace gases.
  • GeoCarb: Scheduled to launch in 2024, will monitor CO₂, CH₄, and CO across the Americas.
  • PACE: Scheduled for 2024, will improve understanding of ocean-atmosphere carbon exchange.
  • NISAR: A NASA-Indian Space Research Organization mission to measure Earth's biomass and surface deformation.

• Data Resolution and Sensitivity:

  • Public-sector satellites offer higher sensitivity but lower spatial resolution (e.g., TROPOMI at 7 km × 7 km).
  • Commercial satellites offer higher spatial resolution (e.g., GHGSat at 25 m², MethaneSAT at 400 × 130 m²) but lower sensitivity.

• Super Emitters:

  • A small percentage of facilities account for a large portion of emissions.
  • Satellites can help identify and monitor these super-emitters, which are critical for targeted mitigation efforts.

• Earth System Science:

  • The field has evolved from studying individual components to understanding the Earth as an integrated system.
  • Satellites have played a crucial role in this evolution, providing data on the interactions between the atmosphere, oceans, and land.

• Climate Impacts:

  • Increased GHG emissions have led to a median global temperature rise of 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels.
  • The carbon cycle, including natural sinks like oceans and forests, plays a key role in absorbing CO₂, but this capacity is limited and varies over time.

Conclusion

The paper highlights the essential role of space-based observations in monitoring GHG emissions and understanding climate change. It argues for the development of an Earth Operations Centre to integrate space, airborne, and ground-based data, improve modeling, and support global decision-making towards achieving net-zero emissions. The paper also emphasizes the need for both public and private sector collaboration to address the gaps in current monitoring systems and enhance the accuracy and comprehensiveness of climate data.