1. CEOS Chair GHG Initiative Report and Workshop Outcomes
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites
CEOS Chair GHG Initiative Report and Workshop Outcomes
Mark Dowell, European Commission
CEOS Plenary 2018
Agenda Item # 3.2
Brussels, Belgium
17 – 18 October 2018

2. CEOS Chair 2018 GHG Priority
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.

3. Action in GCOS IP 2016 GCOS-200
“Specifically CEOS and CGMS will undertake, over the next few years, dedicated preparatory work in a coordinated international context…:
The definition of an architecture of space component elements to address the requirements of a CO2 and GHG monitoring system , … This will provide a global holistic perspective both from the point of view of existing and planned space segment assets as well and that for an optimum global constellation.
The documentation of best practices on the relationships between individual space agencies and their counterparts working on the modelling aspects, the inventories and in-situ data provision, …
The further consolidation of partnerships and collaborations between the relevant international entities including: the relationship between CEOS and CGMS on the space component aspects, the partnership with the WMO and GEO on the broader framework, … and finally the relationships with GCOS itself, UNFCCC and IPCC TFI process in better defining the role for space-based observation in the inventory guideline process.”

4. CEOS Chair 2018 GHG Priority
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 GHG/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.

5. CEOS Chair Workshop - GHG
Workshop organised from a CEOS – Space Agency point-of-view
Emphasis of workshop is on extracting and documenting best practices on interactions between CEOS Agencies/Associates, and counterparts working on modelling, in-situ and inventory,
Identify open issues and have some specific recommendations on efforts that CEOS Agencies could target in the future.
This should build open the existing recent efforts both within CEOS (i.e. the AC-VC Whitepaper on GHG Constellation) and efforts lead by other international efforts (e.g. WMO/IG3IS, GEO- C, GCOS, UNFCCC/SBSTA, IPCC-TFI)
June 18-19th European Commission – JRC , Ispra (IT)
9 CEOS Agencies attended 2-4 people each, 3 CEOS Associates – around 40 attendees in total

6. CEOS Chair GHG Workshop
Monday 18th June
Tuesday 19th June
Introduction & Objectives
Review of Previous Day
International Programmes:
WMO, GCOS, GEO
Specific interfaces
discussions:
Space-Modelling,
Space-In-situ,
Space-Inventory AM AM
Ongoing Activities:
AC-VC Whitepaper, Inversion Modelling Workshop, IPCC TFI, Copernicus…
Agencies Perspectives:
CNES, CSA, CMA, DLR, NOAA, NASA,
JAXA, EU (EC, ESA, EUM), UKSA PM PM
General & Crosscutting Aspects: discussion on issues such as terminology
System defn., needs and requirements
Conclusion and Follow-up

7. Agency Perspectives
Presentations from individual agencies on their perspective on working with different communities (modelling, insitu, inventory) wrt GHG monitoring and analysis
Presentations should (also) address:
Agency programmatic state-of-play on GHG missions and plans
Ongoing activities with modelling community
Ongoing activities with In-situ community
Any existing dialogue with Inventory community
Engagement/Involvement at international level (bilateral/multilateral)
Target/focus of any relevant research funding

8. Agreed that scope is CO2 and CH4
Terminology and Scope
Help countries improve their estimates of CO2 and CH4 emissions and removals in support of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement; and,
Provide an additional mechanism for validating the consistency between reported emissions and output from the system.
Agreed that scope is CO2 and CH4

9. System overview/architecture
Consensus that a system approach is required in addressing the needs/requirements
Agreed on a high level representation of the system overview

10. Quality Contol of data
Advocate for standards and procedures that are common and consistent that space agencies use to systematically process and QC data,
Ask space agencies to continue to think about how they could do intercomparison activities, harmonisation of products, etc.
UNFCCC inventories must be transparent. Important part of this. Need to have the opportunity to review what data has been used for inventories. Link to the UNFCCC transparency framework.

11. Space-Modelling Interaction (e.g. OSSEs)
It was acknowledged that OSSEs are a fundamental tool, and will be increasingly important in a virtual constellation context and for the associated cost-benefit and mission design analyses.
Open questions are fairly well defined at the global scale, but not so much at point-scale.
It was agreed to ask CEOS Principals to continue supporting these activities, to provide mechanisms through AC-VC to make the best use of resources in a coordinated manner, and to make resources available for under represented OSSEs.
CO2 and CH4 are very different from an OSSE standpoint. They need to be thought about differently.
CEOS Agencies should support AC-VC in holding a workshop to identify the issues and research priorities that need to be addressed via OSSEs. Q1-Q would be the target for the workshop, with outcomes presented at the 2019 SIT Technical Workshop.

12. Space-in situ
When we’re talking about in situ we are talking about both cal,/val, and inverse modeling datasets
Some concern on the way that governance and sustainability of these in situ systems is currently - esp if we are going to be relying upon it
TCCON and equivalent are critical infrastructure for the space agencies, especially in the context of this integrated CO2 and CH4 system, and the stations should be resourced appropriately.
Data availabilty on operational time scales needs to be considered and faciltated
We need to find mechanisms that allow funding of in situ measurement capabilities outside of the usual mission budgets to provide capacity on a sustained basis.
There is work to be done to understand how to transfer standards for gas metrology calibration to lower cost, modern precision sensors. It was noted that the WMO Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), NOAA, and CSIRO all have unique gas metrology standards. The report should propose an action for CEOS WGCV to consider organising discussions with these metrology groups.

13. Space-Inventory Interaction
Inventory Community Interactions – What Has Been Successful and What Hasn’t?
Switzerland and the UK are good examples of successful relationship building.
Key for space data uptake is building the relationships between and with the government agencies responsible for UNFCCC inventory reporting. This is the IG3IS approach.
We need to take note of the requirements of the inventory community and tailor products to meet their needs (making inputs as appealing as possible).
We could consider approaches for making the inventory community more interested in spatially explicit results, and could look at how to influence the policy/requirements side to create demand.
The report should promote the continued production of synthesised datasets.
Inventory groups are usually resource limited and are looking for ways to improve the efficiency of their work. Increasing efficiency could be a good angle to promote uptake.