36 techniques to process data from satellite images of power plants and make that information available to the public . The coalition believes that , by publicizing such data , it can push plants to voluntarily cut emissions . Furthermore , McCormick and his team hope to inspire environmental activism , influence environmental policies , and verify that countries are complying with the Paris Agreement , the international environmental accord .
CONFRONTING THE CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGE The Paris Agreement , in fact , is at the heart of the coalition ’ s mission , and central to any discussion around climate change . In 2015 , during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ’ s 21st Conference of Parties , representatives from nearly 200 countries agreed on a general shift away from the use of fossil fuels in order to limit the rise in global average temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels . “ To achieve this temperature goal ,” according to the agreement , parties would “ aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible .”
There are many ways to curb greenhouse gas emissions , but scientists agree the key involves limiting pollution due to CO 2 , which enters the atmosphere primarily through the burning of coal , natural gas , and oil . In the United States , according to the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ), CO 2 accounts for more than 80 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions . Worldwide , that figure is closer to 75 percent , with the bulk of emissions coming from the energy sector .
While the Paris Agreement has been heralded by world leaders as a much-needed action plan for fighting climate change , recent studies have shown that global CO 2 emissions are continuing to rise . And one of the reasons , says WattTime data analyst Grace Mitchell , has to do with the fact that emissions can be hard to track . Countries have signed the Paris Agreement , so , in principle , they ’ re committed to change , “ but they don ’ t have access to the data they need to make informed decisions about steps to take next .”
In the U . S ., Mitchell notes , the EPA requires that power plants use a “ continuous emission monitoring system ” to ensure compliance with air emissions standards . ( In 2017 , the United States announced it would withdraw from the Paris Agreement ; under the terms of the accord , it is not permitted to do so until November 2020 .) Many power plants in other developed countries are equipped with similar systems , but that ’ s not the case in states with limited financial resources — or governments that turn a blind eye to polluters . Mitchell is aware of one scenario , for example , where the government claims it ’ s recording this data , but activist groups don ’ t believe the information is accurate . “ Because there ’ s so little transparency , there ’ s also a lack of trust ,” she says .
A NEW MONITORING MODEL GEMS is intended to serve as a free and independent alternative to sensor-driven technologies like continuous emission monitoring systems , which have relatively high operational and maintenance costs . The project , which started in May 2019 as part of Google . org ’ s Launchpad Accelerator program , is still in its initial stages . Their plan , Mitchell says , is to begin by focusing on coalfired plants because they have the highest carbon emissions , and also due to their visible plumes that satellites can detect . As the program is developed , she adds , they ’ ll gradually move on to track other polluters , including plants that burn oil and gas .
The monitoring system improves on a 2018 Carbon Tracker pilot program that used satellite images of plumes created by a specific cooling technology to successfully predict whether power plants were operating or not . The partners ’ first