BeZero partners with leading research institutions on European Space Agency project
BeZero Carbon will collaborate with TU-Dresden and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute on a project funded by the European Space Agency
The project will harness satellite capabilities to assess the impact of wildfire on the carbon cycle
Data gathered from the project will help BeZero Carbon develop vital near-real time monitoring tools for global fire emergencies which will help assess carbon losses
Global carbon ratings agency BeZero Carbon is partnering with two leading research institutes, the Dresden University of Technology (TU-Dresden) and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), on a European Space Agency funded project to quantify carbon losses and emissions from wildfires.
Together, the team will develop a state-of-the-art emissions estimation system for wildfires, with a particular focus on the Amazon region, as well as Boreal Asia and Africa.
The European Space Agency applies science grants to advance carbon cycle research and develop their satellite monitoring products. The project will focus on the Sentinel series of satellites, a European flagship program, which provides a range of data focused on land use, land cover, atmosphere, oceans, weather, and climate. This series of satellites has propelled Europe to the forefront of satellite monitoring.
BeZero Carbon brings to the project a wealth of knowledge on wildfire tracking and modeling of wildfire emissions. BeZero Carbon already uses data from NASA and ESA to provide assessments of fire risk and impacts, for their world-leading carbon ratings. This project will help BeZero Carbon develop vital near-real time monitoring tools for global fire emergencies and will help assess the associated carbon losses.
BeZero Carbon’s geospatial data and Earth observation techniques inform its ratings coverage of over 100 nature-based projects. Through this partnership, BeZero will further enhance their near real-time monitoring and carbon loss estimates from wildfires to assess with greater accuracy the likelihood of a carbon project delivering on its environmental claims. BeZero Carbon’s independent ratings assess the quality of carbon credits traded on the Voluntary Carbon Market, giving buyers the risk-based tools needed to invest in the most environmentally effective projects.
The Voluntary Carbon Market is projected to be worth billions in the next decade - and this partnership will support research and development in geospatial analysis, improving ratings and disclosure, and helping the market scale.
Dr. Niels Andela, Head of Remote Sensing at BeZero Carbon said:
“We’re really pleased to be partnering with the European Space Agency and leading research institutions in this sector. This partnership comes at a vital time - the wildfire events across the world in recent months serve as a pressing reminder of the risks wildfires pose to the environment and human wellbeing. Through this partnership we will be able to further advance our world-leading geospatial capabilities, and develop near-real time monitoring tools for global fire emergencies and associated carbon impacts.”
Dr. Matthias Forkel, junior professor for Environmental Remote Sensing at TU-Dresden said:
“This partnership and associated funding will allow us to develop the next generation of fire emissions monitoring tools. We are leveraging optical and microwave remote sensing to develop a fire emissions database that directly assesses fuel consumption and emissions from satellite observations. Our data provide novel insights in ecosystem changes following fire.”
Dr. Vincent Huijnen, senior scientist at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute said:
“We are excited about this multidisciplinary partnership that combines expertise in wildfire monitoring, satellite remote sensing, and atmospheric processes. This unique vantage point allows us to validate and optimize wildfire emissions estimates by combining the latest generation of atmospheric models with observations of atmospheric composition from satellites.