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.