S1E98: Getting to grips with greenhouse gas emissions

Keeping the world honest on greenhouse gas emissions is vital in
fighting climate change. 


Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits
Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from
biodiversity conservation to climate change.


Every year, humanity releases more than 50 billion tonnes of
greenhouse gases into the air – mainly from burning and
extracting fossil fuels and chopping down forests. Nature can’t
absorb all this extra, so the gases accumulate in the air,
heating up the planet and driving more extreme weather and rising
sea levels. It’s like adding more fuel to a fire. 


While many nations have agreed on targets to cut emissions and
reach net zero emissions around the middle of this century, it’s
becoming increasingly critical to accurately measure where all
these emissions are coming from and if governments and
corporations are really taking the steps they say they
will. 


Getting a true picture of global greenhouse gas emissions is
vital and that means accurate and transparent data for all to
see. It’s about ensuring a level playing field and no
backsliding. But not all nations or companies have the ability or
desire to accurately measure and report their emissions. That is
changing with better analytical methods and new technologies,
such as satellites that can directly measure greenhouse gas
emissions from power plants or coal mines – meaning there’s no
more hiding. 


To discuss this is Dr Pep Canadell, executive director of the
Global Carbon Project, a scientific group that analyses global
greenhouse gas emissions trends. He explains what the group does
and how accuracy is improving, especially ahead of a major United
Nations’ global climate assessment that is being released at the
end of this year. 


Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):


1:09 What is the Global Carbon Project and why is its work
important?


3:49 Where does a lot of data on greenhouse gas emissions come
from and can we trust it?


6:58 Are there still significant data gaps and how do you deal
with this?


11:40 Measuring greenhouse gases might seem a bit nerdy. Explain
why tracking emissions is vital for monitoring global action on
tackling climate change.


14:56 How has new technology improved data accuracy and
transparency? For instance, new generations of satellites. 


Produced by: David Fogarty (dfogarty@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis
& Teo Tong Kai


Edited by: Hadyu Rahim


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Special edition series:


True Crimes Of Asia (new): https://str.sg/i44T


The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps):
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Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn


Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB


Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa


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