What Earth Observation Can Do for Carbon Accounting

Earth observation (EO) provides independent, large-scale and repeatable measurements that are transforming how carbon stocks and fluxes are monitored, reported and verified. Satellite data can map and monitor forests, wetlands, soils and other ecosystems at high resolution, track land-use and land-cover change, and estimate greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. By offering consistent, spatially explicit information across vast and often inaccessible areas, EO strengthens the scientific basis for carbon accounting and supports transparent, credible reporting at local, national and global scales — from voluntary carbon markets to national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

ESA's Role in Carbon Accounting

ESA contributes to global carbon accounting through a range of missions and programmes that generate the satellite data underpinning climate science and policy. Dedicated missions such as BIOMASS — designed to measure forest carbon stocks worldwide — alongside long-running programmes like the Climate Change Initiative (CCI), provide authoritative datasets on vegetation, land cover, soil moisture and greenhouse gas concentrations. ESA works closely with scientific institutions, policy bodies and private sector actors to turn these datasets into actionable information, supporting efforts to meet international climate targets, improve national greenhouse gas inventories, and build trust in emerging carbon markets.

How the Stakeholder Engagement Facility Supports Carbon Accounting Users

The ESA Stakeholder Engagement Facility (SEF) works with carbon accounting stakeholders to help them understand and harness the potential of Earth observation in their monitoring, reporting and verification workflows. SEF uses tools such as the Geospatial Explorer to illustrate how satellite data can address real-world measurement and transparency challenges. Through in-depth user engagement, the SEF team analyses the specific requirements of organisations working across land-based carbon sectors and identifies where EO can deliver the most value.

Capacity-building is a cornerstone of SEF's approach. As a supporter of the Carbon Farming Summit, SEF engages directly with farming and land management communities to raise awareness of how satellite data can strengthen carbon sequestration monitoring and support access to carbon finance schemes. These activities help organisations build the knowledge and practical capabilities needed to integrate EO data into their carbon accounting processes with confidence.