Climate TRACE

{{Short description|Group which monitors greenhouse gas emissions}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox organization | name = Climate TRACE | full_name = | logo = | logo_size = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | image = | image_size = | image_alt =  | caption = | map =  | map_size =  | map_alt = | map_caption = | map2 =  | map2_size = | map2_alt = | map2_caption = | abbreviation = | nickname = | pronunciation = | pronounce_ref = | pronounce_comment = | named_after = | predecessor = | merged_into =  | successor = | formation = {{start date and age|2020|07|01}} | founder =  | founding_location = | dissolved =  | merger =  | type = Nonprofit | tax_id =  | registration_id =  | status =  | purpose =  | professional_title =  | headquarters = | coordinates =  | origins = | region_served =  | products =  | services = | methods =  | fields =  | membership =  | num_members_year =  | language =  | owner =  | secretary_general =  | leader_title =  | leader_name = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | board_of_directors = | key_people = | main_organ =  | parent_organization =  | subsidiaries = | secessions = | affiliations = | budget = | budget_year = | revenue = | revenue_year = | disbursements = | expenses = | expenses_year = | endowment = | endowment_year = | num_staff = | num_staff_year = | num_volunteers = | num_volunteers_year = | num_students = | num_students_year = | awards = | website = {{URL|climatetrace.org/}} | remarks = | former_name =  | footnotes = | bodystyle = | funding =  | native_name_lang =  | native_name =  }}

'''Climate TRACE''' (Tracking Real-Time Atmospheric Carbon Emissions)<ref>{{Cite news|last=Gore|first=Al|date=12 December 2020|title=Opinion {{!}} Al Gore: Where I Find Hope|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/12/opinion/sunday/biden-climate-change-al-gore.html|access-date=10 July 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=18 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818162825/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/12/opinion/sunday/biden-climate-change-al-gore.html|url-status=live}}</ref> is an independent group which monitors and publishes greenhouse gas emissions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 August 2020 |title=Climate TRACE to track real-time global carbon emissions |url=http://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/08/climate-trace-to-track-real-time-global-carbon-emissions/ |access-date=10 July 2021 |publisher=Yale Climate Connections |archive-date=12 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712052433/https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/08/climate-trace-to-track-real-time-global-carbon-emissions/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It launched in 2021 before COP26,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Freedman|first=Andrew|title=Al Gore's Climate TRACE tracking group finds vast undercounts of emissions|url=https://www.axios.com/global-carbon-emissions-inventory-surprises-cb7f220a-6dfd-4f88-9349-5c9ffa0817e9.html|access-date=27 September 2021|website=Axios|language=en|archive-date=27 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927135601/https://www.axios.com/global-carbon-emissions-inventory-surprises-cb7f220a-6dfd-4f88-9349-5c9ffa0817e9.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and improves monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of both carbon dioxide and methane.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Roberts|first=David|date=16 July 2020|title=The entire world's carbon emissions will finally be trackable in real time|url=https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/7/16/21324662/climate-change-air-pollution-tracking-greenhouse-gas-emissions-trace-coalition|access-date=10 July 2021|website=Vox|archive-date=10 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210710132950/https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/7/16/21324662/climate-change-air-pollution-tracking-greenhouse-gas-emissions-trace-coalition|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=7 July 2021|title=Methane: A Threat to People and Planet|url=https://rmi.org/methane-a-threat-to-people-and-planet/|access-date=10 July 2021|publisher=Rocky Mountain Institute|archive-date=10 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210710130155/https://rmi.org/methane-a-threat-to-people-and-planet/|url-status=live}}</ref> The group monitors sources such as coal mines and power station smokestacks worldwide,<ref>{{Cite news|title=Transcript: The Path Forward: Al Gore on Climate and the Economy|work=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2021/04/22/transcript-path-forward-al-gore-climate-economy/|access-date=10 July 2021|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=25 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425235950/https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2021/04/22/transcript-path-forward-al-gore-climate-economy/|url-status=live}}</ref> with satellite data (but not their own satellites) and artificial intelligence.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Puko|first=Timothy|date=13 April 2021|title=John Kerry Says U.S. Will Hold China to Account on Climate Pledges|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/kerry-says-u-s-will-hold-beijing-to-account-on-climate-pledges-11618338675|access-date=10 July 2021|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=10 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210710131308/https://www.wsj.com/articles/kerry-says-u-s-will-hold-beijing-to-account-on-climate-pledges-11618338675|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Peters|first=Adele|date=15 July 2020|title=This Al Gore-supported project uses AI to track the world's emissions in near real time|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90527328/this-al-gore-supported-project-uses-ai-to-track-the-worlds-emissions-in-near-real-time|access-date=15 July 2021|website=Fast Company|archive-date=12 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512185220/https://www.fastcompany.com/90527328/this-al-gore-supported-project-uses-ai-to-track-the-worlds-emissions-in-near-real-time|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Time'' magazine named it as one of the hundred best inventions of 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The 100 Best Inventions of 2020|url=https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2020/|access-date=10 July 2021|website=Time|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725023405/https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2020/|url-status=live}}</ref> Their emissions map is the largest global inventory and interactive map of greenhouse gas emission sources.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Harry |last1=Cockburn |title=Global oil and gas emissions 'up to three times higher than companies claim' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/global-gas-oil-emissions-rise-b2221249.html |access-date=18 December 2022 |work=The Independent |date=9 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Emissions Map - Climate TRACE |url=https://climatetrace.org/map |access-date=18 December 2022 |website=climatetrace.org |language=en}} </ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=News - Climate TRACE |url=https://climatetrace.org/news/more-than-70000-of-the-highest-emitting-greenhouse-gas |access-date=21 June 2023 |website=climatetrace.org |language=en}}</ref> According to Kelly Sims Gallagher it could influence the politics of climate change by reducing MRV disputes, and lead to more ambitious climate pledges.<ref name=":0" />

Developed countries' annual reports to the UNFCCC are submitted over a year after the end of the monitored year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=4. Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Inventories in the Enhanced Transparency Framework|url=https://unfccc.int/enhanced-transparency-framework#eq-4|url-status=live|access-date=17 July 2021 |publisher=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112015600/https://unfccc.int/enhanced-transparency-framework |archive-date=12 November 2019 }}</ref> Developing countries in the Paris Agreement will submit every two years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reporting and Review under the Paris Agreement|url=https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/transparency-and-reporting/reporting-and-review-under-the-paris-agreement|url-status=live|quote=Parties under the Paris Agreement are required to submit their first biennial transparency report (BTR1) and national inventory report, if submitted as a stand-alone report, in accordance with the MPGs, at the latest by 31 December 2024|access-date=20 April 2020 |publisher=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517105548/https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/transparency-and-reporting/reporting-and-review-under-the-paris-agreement |archive-date=17 May 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Anna Schulz|first=Fernanda Alcobé|title=Implementing the Paris Agreement: LDC gaps and needs in greenhouse gas inventory reporting|url=https://pubs.iied.org/20086iied|url-status=live|access-date=17 July 2021 |publisher=Publications Library|quote=Developing countries update their GHG inventories, mitigation actions, needs and support received within their BUR|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210528140209/https://pubs.iied.org/20086iied |archive-date=28 May 2021 }}</ref> Some large emitters, such as Iran which has not ratified the agreement, have not submitted a greenhouse gas inventory in the 2020s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Documents and decisions: Iran|url=https://unfccc.int/documents?search2=&search3=&f%5B0%5D=country:938|url-status=live|access-date=17 July 2021 |publisher=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|page=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114013528/https://unfccc.int/documents?search2=&search3=&f%5B0%5D=country%3A938 |archive-date=14 November 2019 }}</ref>

New data is released monthly 2 months after the emissions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What to know about Climate TRACE’s monthly data updates - Climate TRACE |url=https://climatetrace.org/news/what-to-know-about-climate-traces-monthly-data-updates |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=climatetrace.org |language=en}}</ref>

==Methods== Power plant emissions are tracked by training software with supervised learning to combine satellite imagery with other open data, such as government datasets, OpenStreetMap,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Organised Editing/Activities/Climate TRACE – OpenStreetMap Wiki|url=https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Organised_Editing/Activities/Climate_TRACE|access-date=15 July 2021|publisher=OpenStreetMap|archive-date=27 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527094418/https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Organised_Editing/Activities/Climate_TRACE|url-status=live}}</ref> and company reports.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Satellites – Watttime|url=https://www.watttime.org/solutions/satellite-solutions/|access-date=15 July 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104195956/https://www.watttime.org/solutions/satellite-solutions/|url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly large ships will be tracked to better understand emissions from international shipping.<ref>{{Cite web|date=17 July 2020|title=Al Gore spearheads new initiative to track and publish every ship's carbon footprint|url=https://splash247.com/al-gore-spearheads-new-initiative-to-track-and-publish-every-ships-carbon-footprint/|access-date=15 July 2021|publisher=Splash247|archive-date=15 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715075459/https://splash247.com/al-gore-spearheads-new-initiative-to-track-and-publish-every-ships-carbon-footprint/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Members== {{As of|2023}}, the coalition consists of:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home|url=https://www.climatetrace.org/|access-date=10 July 2021|publisher=Climate Trace|archive-date=8 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708175110/https://www.climatetrace.org/|url-status=live}}</ref> * Nonprofits: CarbonPlan, Earthrise Alliance, Global Energy Monitor, Hudson Carbon, OceanMind, Rocky Mountain Institute, TransitionZero, and WattTime * Companies: Blue Sky Analytics and Hypervine * Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore

==See also== {{portal|Climate change}} * Glossary of climate change

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{official website|climatetrace.org}}

Category:Greenhouse gas inventories Category:Cartography Category:Earth observation projects Category:Organizations established in 2020 Category:Non-profit organizations