1. CEOS Carbon Strategy Mark Dowell, European Commission
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites
CEOS Carbon Strategy
Mark Dowell, European Commission
On behalf of the CEOS Carbon Activities teams
CEOS 2018 SIT Technical Workshop
Session and Agenda Item # 2.4
EUMETSAT, Darmstadt, Germany
13 – 14 September 2018

2. Ongoing Activities
Introduction
AC-VC GHG Whitepaper [agenda item 2.5]
WGISS Carbon data portal prototype
WGCV Cal/Val and production of biomass products
Colombia Data Cube prototype [agenda item 3.6]
IPCC TFI Guidelines [agenda item 2.6]
CEOS-CGMS Coordination on GHG/Carbon

3. WGISS Carbon Community Portal
CEOS Work Plan CARB-15: Carbon Data Portal prototype (WGISS Action)
Objective: Implement a prototype carbon data portal to facilitate the discoverability and accessibility of ECV products and space-borne CDRs. The portal will seamlessly access data both in CWIC and FedEO to provide necessary data and services to the carbon science community of both CEOS and GEOSS.
Approach: prototype developed by WGISS in coordination with CEOS WGClimate Carbon represpesative (requirements and use cases provision/validation).
Status: Several iterations held between WGISS and Carbon teams. Carbon Portal latest version (August 2018) with Carbon Team for review/feedback.
Next steps: 1) Improve discoverability of ECV/CDR key datasets for Carbon Community and functionalities based on received feedback; 2) Open-up portal to wider user community to gather additional feedback (target end October 2018).
Carbon Portal prototype
The relevant Carbon Actions in the CEOS Carbon Strategy
Carbon-Action-27: “publicly available all information necessary”
Carbon-Action-30: “easy discovery and access” of products

4. WGISS Carbon Community Portal Searches
Keywords (auto- completion with IDN Science Keywords)
Return records from both CWIC and FedEO
Objective: Implement a carbon data portal to facilitate the discoverability and accessibility of ECV products and space-borne CDRs. The portal will seamlessly access data both in CWIC and FedEO to provide necessary data and services to the carbon science community of both CEOS and GEOSS.
Approach: Working with Mark Dowell (CEOS Carbon lead) and Stephen Plummer (WG Climate), WGISS will begin defining a preliminary set of “requirements” for a future Carbon Portal. WGISS will start with the initial list of ECVs that are key for Carbon and start putting together a list of relevant data collections from identified data providers.
Additional Resources: requirements definition and development resources provided by NOAA; support from WGClimate and experts for requirements definition.

5. Carbon Regions of Interest and Topics
Special regions
Global
RECCAP
TransCom
Country Names
ECV Inventory
Temporal Searches: support for time range and specific date
Pre-defined topics/datasets:
Atmospheric Carbon
Ecosystem Carbon
Ocean Carbon
Mixed-Theme Carbon

6. Action Completed at WGCV-43
Work Plan
3.2 Progress on the implementation of the CEOS Strategy for Carbon Observations from Space
CARB-19: Land product validation listing and framework
Q4 2017
Summarize current list of validated land data products relevant to Carbon Strategy.
Document validation framework and protocols
Provide guidance for online platform for intercomparison of terrestrial carbon products.
WGCV
Action Completed at WGCV-43
Miguel Román (NASA Goddard)
Jaime Nickeson (NASA Goddard)
Laura Duncanson (Univ. Maryland)
Zhuosen Wang (Univ. Maryland)

7. CARB-19: Global Surface Albedo Product validation protocol (draft to be release in Fall, 2018)
CEOS-LPV Plenary (Frascati, May, 2018)
Authors: Z. Wang, C. Schaaf, A. Lattanzio, D. Carrer, I. Grant, M. Román, F. Camacho, Y. Yu.

8. CARB-19: CEOS LPV Super Sites endorsed at CEOS-WGCV-43
CEOS-LPV Super Site page added to LPV web site:
Definition: Well-characterized (canopy structure and bio- geophysical variables) site following well-established protocols useful for the validation of satellite land products and for radiative transfer modeling approaches. Active long term operations (funding and infrastructure support).
Interactive map of sites, color coded by network (10 networks included). Click on site renders a pop-up window with site name, land cover type, and a link to site network page.
Page includes a link to spreadsheet of site details.
Link to selection report:
Objective site selection process helps inform CEOS Agency field experiments (e.g., ESAFiducial Reference Measurement framework:

9. CARB-16: Cal/Val and Production of Biomass Products from CEOS Missions
Intermediate Actions
Q4 2018
Book chapter for ISSI special issue on biomass: review on the importance of validation
NASA/ESA
Q3 2019
CEOS WGCV biomass protocol
CEOS-LPV with contributions from NASA/ESA
Recommendations for global ground-based biomass cal/val sites
GEDI Forest Structure and Biomass Database
(Potential Biomass cal/val Sites)
Map current as of July, 2018

10. CEOS CGMS collaboration on GHG
Specific Chair Initiative : Laying the foundation for an international CO2 and GHG monitoring system
Three specific activities are foreseen for advancing this effort in :
Facilitate the completion and follow-on activities of the AC-VC whitepaper on defining an optimum constellation for CO2 and GHG monitoring, including the joint competences of CEOS and CGMS, and in the general framework of the continued implementation of the CEOS Carbon Strategy
Advance the relationship with CGMS for an operationally implemented and sustained observation capability. Consider establishing a formal working relationship between CEOS and CGMS as with the successful ongoing relationship on Systematic Observations of ECVs in support of UNFCCC.
Place the space segment in the broader context of a fully sustained system for CO2 monitoring. Individual CEOS Agencies have counterparts in their individual countries/regions who have responsibility for Inventories, the required modelling, in- situ infrastructure and the ground segment elements.

11. COP-23/SBSTA-47
Considerable support in the RSO negotiations from Japan and EU delegations
Especially for Conclusions 9 & 12

12. CEOS CGMS Coordination on GHG monitoring - options
Continue adhoc collaboration in context of CEOS Carbon Strategy Actions e.g. as-in joint efforts on AC-VC Whitepaper
Establish a sub-group (with dedicated resources) in context of existing standing WG i.e. Joint WG on Climate
Extend the current CEOS Atmospheric Composition Virtual Constellation to be a Joint CEOS-CGMS Virtual Constellation
Establish a dedicated Joint WG specifically on Carbon /GHG observations
Assess/discuss these different options both within CEOS and CGMS - propose a preferred option

13. Pros and Cons of Options 2 & 3
Subgroup to Joint WGClimate
Option 3
Joint AC-VC
Pros
The Joint CEOS-CGMS WGClimate already exists, just need to decide on assigning subgroup lead maybe update ToR
Existing and strong working relationship with GCOS and UNFCCC/SBSTA
May provide basis for longer-term home for CEOS Carbon Strategy Action
Will Ensure that the GHG products requirements/improvement process follows same being implemented for other ECVs/CDRs
Take advantage of other ECVs associated to the natural Carbon Cycle
Could build on existing adhoc collaboration started in context of GHG Whitepaper
If focus is primarily on building physical constellation, based on GHG Whitepaper, then competence are within VC
Would provide an additional “model” of collaboration between CEOS and CGMS
GHG may not be only area of CEOS-CGMS collaboration within AC-VC e.g. Air Quality
Cons
Enlarges scope/mandate of WGClimate
Would need dedicted resources competences for CEOS agencies to WGClimate
Would need strong dialogue between WGClimate and AC-VC
Concern on creating parallel track with SBSTA and GCOS
Risks to remain disconnected to other activities of CEOS Carbon Strategy

14. Conclusion from CGMS-46
“…CGMS was requested to confirm its interest in pursuing a more structured collaboration with CEOS on GHG monitoring and provide comments or preferences on the options presented. In the discussion it was noted that whilst recognising the technical capabilities of the CEOS AC-VC team and the support it is providing in terms of drafting the White Paper, concerns were raised by several members that it may not be the most suitable entity to lead activities with strategic implications and reporting to various bodies like UNFCCC and SBSTA. It was also noted that JWG Climate has domstrated its ability to take on board complex and heavy tasks and deliver on schedule. Furthermore JWGClimate already has all the reporting lines in place. Whilst having concerns on the workload it was noted that the situation is now improving. …The CGMS Plenary then decided on the following Action: Action: JWGClimate to complete their analysis of the feasibility of establishing a subgroup on CO2/GHG in JWG Climate … Recommendation: CGMS to recommend to the CEOS Chair the establishment of a subgroup within JWGClimate for the coordination of greenhouse gas monitoring activities.”

15. Possible “Hybrid” Scenario
Option 2
GCOS/UNFCCC
WMO IG3IS
GEO Carbon & GHG
Initiatives on Carbon relevant ECVs, input for SBSTA
Reporting SBSTA, formal GCOS link
Space Agency input to GEO Initiative
Joint
WGClimate
CEOS Carbon Strategy (CCS)
WGClimate Subgroup on GHG monitoring
Addressing GHG relevant GCOS Actions e.g. T71
CCS Actions for the Atmospheric Domain
WGCV
ACSG
Atmospheric Composition - VC
GSICS
CGMS representation
Joint meetings with WGClimate

16. Conclusion Conclusions
There is an increasingly strong policy demand for coordinated provision of information on GHGs (both from UNFCCC/SBSTA and GCOS)
This has strong synergies with the successful existing collaboration between CEOS and CGMS on more traditional Systematic Observations (ECVs, CDRs)
The adhoc collaboration between CEOS and CGMS agencies in preparing the draft whitepaper on the GHG Constellation has proved to be effective, and brought complimentary competences to the existing team
A number of options are available for a more structured collaboration on GHG monitoring, taking advantage of existing CEOS (and CGMS entities) of these would result in considerable added-value.

17. Asked to Plenary – for Decision
Confirm the interest in pursuing a structured collaboration between CEOS and CGMS in the area Greenhouse Gas observations and monitoring
Confirm that the options considered for this collaboration, present, are representative of those available through the technical entities within the organisations
Agree that the identified proposed solution is appropriate, and that the implications of it's implementation are understood and acceptable (including those relating to resourcing and Agency participation)
Agree that the proposed timeline for implementation are appropriate and that the draft ToR and governance/leadership arrangement are acceptable