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The Japanese government is planning to share data collected from observation satellites that measure carbon dioxide emissions with developing countries. The purpose of this initiative is to assist these nations in submitting accurate data to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, enabling them to make significant contributions in the field of climate change.

Under the Paris Agreement, each country is required to regularly report its greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2 and methane, to the convention’s secretariat. Typically, this information is calculated based on factors such as a nation’s energy consumption and industrial statistics. However, many developing countries face challenges such as unreliable statistics or a lack of technology to accurately measure emissions.

To address these issues, the Japanese Ministry of Environment, along with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and other organizations, has been working on developing technology to estimate CO2 emissions. Since the launch of the Ibuki observation satellite in 2009, and its successor Ibuki-2 in 2018, significant progress has been made. In fact, the ministry has been collaborating with Chuo University since fiscal 2018 to conduct a feasibility test in Mongolia, aimed at enhancing the accuracy of CO2 emissions estimates.

With the accuracy of the satellite data now reaching a practical level, Mongolia plans to include this information in its upcoming report to the convention’s secretariat. Professor Masataka Watanabe from Chuo University emphasized that this satellite data can ensure transparency in the emissions of developing countries. He also suggested that Japan should utilize the Mongolia case as a starting point to expand these efforts.

In addition to Mongolia, Japan has signed memorandums with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to provide them with satellite measurements of emissions. Kyrgyzstan is also among the countries interested in utilizing this data. Moreover, Japan aims to extend this initiative to other major CO2 emitters, such as India.

Looking ahead, Japan plans to launch a new type of observation satellite with advanced sensors in fiscal year 2024 as a successor to Ibuki-2. This development will further enhance the accuracy and capabilities of satellite measurements of greenhouse gas emissions.

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