Satellites collect carbon emissions data

The COP26 summit at the end of 2021 reaffirmed the call for governments and businesses to take action against climate change. The global aim, initially crafted by an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, is to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, and 90% by 2050, and Satellite Vu have become one of the first major space companies to share their carbon emissions data publicly in a drive towards these goals.

Satellite Vu plans to launch the first of a constellation of satellites into orbit within a year. The satellite will collect thermal data, day and night, of both the natural and the built environment at any location on the planet. The full constellation will have the ability to measure the heat signature of any building multiple times a day, enabling Satellite Vu to derive new insights in real time about building heat loss, activity and insulation.  

The satellites will also monitor thermal water pollution across the globe with the aim of reporting pollution events in bodies of water. Monitoring could detail variations caused by oil refineries, wastewater treatment works and nuclear power plants. In addition to monitoring productivity and illegal activity, the satellites will also be able to validate Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG), creating opportunities to link pollution events to a company’s “Environmental”, or “E,” value in their ESG rating.

The carbon emissions data will be calculated using Satellite Vu’s bespoke calculator which uses similar calculations to those advice by the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The data is to be displayed on a monthly basis.