CHE · Project

Satellite-Based System to Track and Verify Industrial CO2 Emissions Across Europe

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Imagine trying to figure out exactly how much CO2 comes from a factory versus a nearby forest — from space. That's what 22 European research teams worked on together. They combined satellite images, ground-level sensors, and computer models to build a method that can tell apart human-made carbon emissions from natural ones, all the way from individual cities up to entire countries. Think of it as a carbon fingerprinting system that can spot who's actually responsible for emissions.

By the numbers

European institutions collaborating on CO2 monitoring methodology

Countries represented in the consortium

EUR 3,765,190

EU funding for developing anthropogenic CO2 monitoring capacity

Total deliverables produced

Industry partners in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies across Europe face growing regulatory pressure to accurately measure, report, and verify their CO2 emissions — but current methods rely heavily on self-reported data and estimates that are difficult to independently validate. There is no widely available commercial service that can distinguish between human-caused emissions and natural carbon sources at the level of individual facilities or cities using independent satellite observations.

The solution

What was built

CHE produced a research data portal, a library of realistic CO2 simulations spanning global to city scale, validated methods for separating fossil fuel emissions from natural carbon fluxes, and a carbon cycle data assimilation system — totaling 42 deliverables across the consortium.

Audience

Who needs this

Carbon auditing and emissions verification firmsSatellite data analytics companies expanding into climate servicesLarge energy utilities needing independent emissions validationEnvironmental compliance consultancies serving industrial clientsNational environmental agencies building emissions monitoring capacity

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Carbon compliance and emissions verification

mid-size

Target: Environmental consultancies and carbon auditing firms

If you are an emissions verification company struggling to independently confirm what your industrial clients report — this project developed methods combining satellite data, ground sensors, and modeling to distinguish fossil fuel CO2 from natural sources. The system covers scales from individual cities to entire countries, giving you a way to cross-check reported figures against observed atmospheric data across 9 European countries.

Energy and utilities

enterprise

Target: Large power generators and fossil fuel operators

If you are an energy company facing tighter EU emissions reporting requirements — this project built a library of realistic CO2 simulations from global to city scale that can benchmark your facility's emissions footprint. With 22 institutions contributing data and methods, the resulting tools help separate your plant's CO2 signature from background sources, reducing disputes over attribution.

Earth observation and remote sensing

any

Target: Satellite data analytics companies

If you are a remote sensing company looking to add carbon monitoring to your service portfolio — this project tackled the core technical challenge of handling systematic errors in satellite CO2 sensors and reconciling top-down satellite measurements with bottom-up inventories. The methodologies and simulation library developed across 42 deliverables provide a foundation for building commercial emissions monitoring products.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access the tools and data from this project?

CHE was a Coordination and Support Action funded with EUR 3,765,190 in EU contributions. The project produced a public research data portal and 42 deliverables. As a publicly funded project, methodologies and non-proprietary outputs are generally accessible, though integration into commercial products would require your own development investment.

Can these methods work at industrial scale for real-time monitoring?

The project built CO2 simulation capabilities spanning global to city scale, which demonstrates scalability in modeling. However, this was a coordination project focused on methodology development — operational real-time monitoring would require the next-generation satellite missions and infrastructure that CHE was designed to inform and dimension.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

CHE was a CSA (Coordination and Support Action) with 22 partners across 9 countries, primarily research institutions and universities. The outputs are methodologies, recommendations, and simulation libraries rather than patented technologies. Based on available project data, most results feed into the public European monitoring capacity being developed by the EU.

How does this fit with current EU carbon regulations?

CHE was specifically designed to support the development of a European anthropogenic CO2 monitoring service, directly aligned with EU climate policy needs. The methods for verifying reported emissions against independent satellite observations are increasingly relevant as the EU tightens its Emissions Trading System and carbon border adjustment mechanisms.

What is the timeline to get something operational from this?

The project ran from 2017 to 2020 and produced recommendations for future satellite missions and monitoring infrastructure. The operational service CHE was preparing for — the EU's CO2 Monitoring and Verification Support capacity — is being built as a follow-on effort. Companies looking to use these methods should expect to build on the published methodologies rather than deploy a turnkey product.

Can this integrate with our existing emissions reporting systems?

The project developed methods for reconciling bottom-up emission inventories with top-down atmospheric observations. This means the tools are designed to complement and verify existing reporting approaches rather than replace them. Integration would require adapting the simulation and data assimilation methods to your specific reporting workflow.

Consortium

Who built it

The CHE consortium brings together 22 partners across 9 countries, heavily weighted toward research (10 research organizations, 6 universities) with 5 industry partners and no SMEs. The coordinator is the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), one of Europe's most respected meteorological institutions. The 23% industry ratio and zero SME participation reflect the project's nature as a coordination effort building the scientific foundation for a future EU monitoring service, rather than a market-driven product development initiative. For a business looking to enter carbon monitoring, these partners represent the definitive European expertise in atmospheric CO2 measurement and modeling.

EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR MEDIUM-RANGE WEATHER FORECASTSCoordinator · UK
UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIAparticipant · UK
KAMINSKI THOMAS HERBERTparticipant · DE
LUNDS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOparticipant · NL
COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVESparticipant · FR
STIFTELSEN NILUparticipant · NO
AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE GMBHparticipant · DE
DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EVparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITAET BREMENparticipant · DE
AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASparticipant · FR
KONINKLIJK NEDERLANDS METEOROLOGISCH INSTITUUT-KNMIparticipant · NL
THALES ALENIA SPACE FRANCE SASparticipant · FR
WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITYparticipant · NL
MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EVparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTERparticipant · UK
FONDAZIONE CENTRO EURO-MEDITERRANEOSUI CAMBIAMENTI CLIMATICIparticipant · IT
STICHTING NEDERLANDSE WETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK INSTITUTENparticipant · NL
EIDGENOSSISCHE MATERIALPRUFUNGS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALTparticipant · CH
THE EUROPEAN ORGANISATION FOR THE EXPLOITATION OF METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITESparticipant · DE
JRC -JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE- EUROPEAN COMMISSIONparticipant · BE

How to reach the team

The coordinator is the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) based in the UK. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the project team.

Order a report on this consortium See EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR MEDIUM-RANGE WEATHER FORECASTS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to understand how satellite-based CO2 monitoring methods can strengthen your emissions verification or carbon compliance services? SciTransfer can connect you with the CHE research team and help you evaluate commercial applications of their methodology.

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