RINGO · Project

Europe-Wide Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Network Delivering Real-Time Carbon Data Services

environmentPrototypeTRL 4Thin data (2/5)

Imagine trying to track pollution across an entire continent but every country uses different thermometers, different methods, and different reporting formats. RINGO was about getting 21 countries to agree on one standardized way to measure greenhouse gases — from forests and farms to oceans. They built real-time data pipelines that combine satellite feeds with ground stations, so anyone who needs carbon data gets it in one consistent, reliable format. Think of it as building the shared plumbing for Europe's climate measurement system.

By the numbers

consortium partners across the observation network

countries participating in standardized greenhouse gas monitoring

EUR 4,719,680

EU contribution to infrastructure readiness

deliverables produced covering science, technology, and data readiness

principal readiness objectives addressed (scientific, geographical, technological, data, political)

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies in carbon trading, agriculture, and ESG consulting need reliable, standardized greenhouse gas data across European regions — but measurements vary by country, method, and format, making cross-border carbon accounting unreliable. Without a consistent data baseline, carbon credit verification is uncertain, farm-level emissions claims are hard to validate, and corporate sustainability reports lack scientific grounding.

The solution

What was built

RINGO delivered 42 outputs including fully operational GLODAP and SOCAT ocean carbon data services, a near-real-time ocean-atmosphere flux calculation routine integrating satellite data on surface temperature, wind speeds, and wave conditions, and standardized measurement protocols across 21 countries. These are research infrastructure services, not packaged commercial products.

Audience

Who needs this

Carbon credit verification and emissions trading platforms needing reliable baseline dataESG and sustainability consultancies building corporate emissions reportsPrecision agriculture companies validating carbon farming and soil sequestration claimsClimate risk assessment firms modeling regional greenhouse gas trendsNational environmental agencies harmonizing cross-border emissions monitoring

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Carbon Markets & Emissions Trading

mid-size

Target: Carbon credit verification firms and emissions trading platforms

If you are a carbon credit verifier struggling with inconsistent greenhouse gas data across borders — this project built standardized observation networks across 21 countries and real-time data calculation routines that combine satellite and ground measurements. The GLODAP and SOCAT ocean carbon services now deliver consistent data that can underpin more reliable carbon accounting.

Agriculture & Land Management

any

Target: Precision agriculture companies and large agricultural cooperatives

If you are an agri-tech company that needs reliable regional greenhouse gas flux data to validate carbon farming claims — RINGO developed near-real-time ocean-atmosphere flux calculation routines incorporating satellite data on temperature, wind, and wave conditions. These data streams, drawn from a network of 49 partner institutions, provide the baseline measurements needed to calibrate farm-level carbon models.

Environmental Consulting & ESG Reporting

SME

Target: ESG advisory firms and sustainability consultancies

If you are a sustainability consultancy helping corporate clients report Scope 3 emissions but lack reliable regional greenhouse gas baselines — this project standardized measurement technologies and data streams across 21 countries. With 42 deliverables covering data quality, measurement standards, and global data integration, these outputs can strengthen the evidence base behind your ESG assessments.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access the data and services developed by RINGO?

RINGO was a Coordination and Support Action funded with EUR 4,719,680 in EU contribution. The ICOS research infrastructure it supports operates as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), which typically provides open data access. Commercial licensing terms would need to be discussed directly with the ICOS ERIC coordinator in Finland.

Can these monitoring systems work at industrial scale?

The project connected 49 partner institutions across 21 countries into a unified observation system. The ocean-atmosphere flux calculation routine already processes satellite data streams in near-real-time covering surface temperature, wind speeds, and wave conditions. This is continental-scale infrastructure, not a lab prototype.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

As a publicly funded Coordination and Support Action, most outputs including the GLODAP and SOCAT data services are designed for open access. The ICOS ERIC structure means governance is shared across member countries. Specific IP arrangements for commercial use would need to be clarified with the ICOS consortium.

How does this fit with current EU emissions regulations?

ICOS is an ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) listed infrastructure, meaning it has top-level political backing across the EU. RINGO specifically aimed to deepen global cooperation of observational infrastructures, positioning ICOS as the European pillar in global greenhouse gas monitoring — directly relevant to EU Green Deal reporting requirements.

What is the timeline — is this ready to use now?

The project ran from 2017 to 2020 and is now closed. Key deliverables like the GLODAP and SOCAT ocean carbon services were fully implemented, and the near-real-time flux calculation routines are operational. The ICOS infrastructure itself continues to operate beyond the project end date.

Can this data integrate with our existing monitoring systems?

One of RINGO's five principal objectives was 'Data readiness' — specifically improving data streams for different user groups and adapting to developing web standards. The near-real-time data calculation routine was designed to incorporate multiple satellite data streams, suggesting API-level integration is feasible.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a massive research-driven consortium with 49 partners across 21 countries, but almost no industry presence — just 1 industrial partner and 2 SMEs out of 49 (2% industry ratio). The heavy lifting is done by 27 universities and 17 research organizations. Coordinated by ICOS ERIC in Finland, a dedicated European research infrastructure body, the consortium is designed for scientific coordination rather than commercial exploitation. For a business looking to use RINGO outputs, the entry point would be through ICOS ERIC directly, but expect a research-first culture rather than a commercial service orientation.

INTEGRATED CARBON OBSERVATION SYSTEM EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURECONSORTIUMCoordinator · FI
UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIAthirdparty · UK
THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETERthirdparty · UK
UNIVERSITEIT ANTWERPENparticipant · BE
HELSINGIN YLIOPISTOparticipant · FI
USTAV VYZKUMU GLOBALNI ZMENY AV CR VVIparticipant · CZ
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLINparticipant · IE
UNIVERSIDAD DE LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIAparticipant · ES
PLYMOUTH MARINE LABORATORY LIMITEDthirdparty · UK
LUNDS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU OPTOELECTRONICA INOE 2000participant · RO
UNIWERSYTET PRZYRODNICZY W POZNANIUparticipant · PL
RUPRECHT-KARLS-UNIVERSITAET HEIDELBERGparticipant · DE
INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE AGRONOMIAparticipant · PT
UNIVERSITAET BERNthirdparty · CH
DEUTSCHER WETTERDIENSTparticipant · DE
LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR OSTSEEFORSCHUNG WARNEMUNDEthirdparty · DE
UPPSALA UNIVERSITETthirdparty · SE
AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE, L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILEthirdparty · IT
UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND JOHANNESBURGparticipant · ZA
UNIVERSITAET BREMENparticipant · DE
UNITED KINGDOM RESEARCH AND INNOVATIONparticipant · UK
UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGYparticipant · UK
ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI OCEANOGRAFIA E DI GEOFISICA SPERIMENTALEthirdparty · IT
EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICHparticipant · CH
JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE-UNIVERSITAET FRANKFURT AM MAINparticipant · DE
EESTI MAAULIKOOLparticipant · EE
NRG PALLAS BVthirdparty · NL
DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
ILMATIETEEN LAITOSthirdparty · FI
WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITYthirdparty · NL
RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGENparticipant · NL
ETHNIKO ASTEROSKOPEIO ATHINONparticipant · EL
INSTITUT ROYAL D'AERONOMIE SPATIALE DE BELGIQUEparticipant · BE
NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTREparticipant · UK
MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EVthirdparty · DE
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENTthirdparty · FR
HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM FUR OZEANFORSCHUNG KIEL (GEOMAR)participant · DE
VLAAMS INSTITUUT VOOR DE ZEEthirdparty · BE
GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITETthirdparty · SE
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DELLA TUSCIAparticipant · IT
EIDGENOSSISCHE MATERIALPRUFUNGS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALTthirdparty · CH
UNIVERSITETET I BERGENparticipant · NO
UNIVERSITE DE VERSAILLES SAINT-QUENTIN EN YVELINESparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

ICOS ERIC is the coordinator, based in Finland. As a European Research Infrastructure Consortium, they have a public-facing office. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to discuss commercial data access.

Order a report on this consortium See INTEGRATED CARBON OBSERVATION SYSTEM EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURECONSORTIUM profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how ICOS greenhouse gas data could strengthen your carbon reporting or ESG assessments? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people at ICOS ERIC and help structure a data access agreement.

Order a report on this topic More in Environment & Climate