Michael R. Bloomberg, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Action; California Governor Gavin Newsom; and Planet, the San Francisco-based earth-imaging company, announced Satellites for Climate Action, a new initiative that will use satellite data to inform and accelerate climate protection.
The initiative will focus on three areas:
- Apply the planet’s existing earth observation data to climate solutions by analyzing coal-fired plant operations
- Explore a new generation of satellite technologies with enhanced capabilities to detect greenhouse gases such as methane and CO2
- Develop new geospatial analytics that can directly enable conservation efforts for forests, coral reefs, and other critical natural resources.
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“Data is one of the most powerful tools we have in the fight against climate change. The better we can measure factors like greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation, the faster and more effectively we can address them, and the easier it is for the public to hold leaders accountable,” said Bloomberg.
California has one of the leading greenhouse gas reduction programs in the world to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and a long history of finding innovative ways to reduce emissions while encouraging a thriving economy.
This partnership builds on Bloomberg Philanthropies’ environmental portfolio, which demonstrates a long-time commitment to applying data and transparency to the environment, including programs such as Beyond Carbon and Beyond Coal. Satellites for Climate Action also builds on the State of California and Planet partnership to support action on climate change announced at the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit.
These efforts have been supported and co-funded by High Tide Foundation (formerly Overlook International Foundation) and The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment.