SPECIAL SESSION 1: ESTIMATING CO₂ EMISSIONS USING SATELLITE DATA – INSIGHTS FROM ESA’S CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVE

Accurately estimating CO₂ emissions is essential for driving effective climate action. This talk will explore how satellite products from ESA’s Climate Change Initiative (CCI) are transforming our ability to track carbon fluxes and refine emissions assessments. We’ll demonstrate how Earth Observation data strengthens global carbon budget estimates and highlight groundbreaking research from the University of Exeter. This includes advancements in fire emissions monitoring in the Amazon, improving land-use emissions estimates, using satellite data to quantify secondary forest regrowth rates and its carbon sink potential, and developing near real-time carbon flux assessments. We will also discuss how these data-driven insights can empower policymakers, enhance carbon cycle modeling, and support impactful climate mitigation strategies.”