b'Volume #3 / 2024 315 questions to the scientists Q&A A breakthrough service to monitor human-induced emissionsThe CO2 Monitoring and Verification Support capacity (CO2MVS) is a service developed by Copernicus that aims to monitor human-induced carbon dioxide andOn the member statemethane emissions in the atmosphere. It combineslevel, we aim for countries to use ground-based and satellite measurements with detailed computer models in a service that can be used to trackthe data to evaluate oremissions onthe regional, national and local scales. The prototype was created as part of the EU-fundedimprove their greenhouse gas CoCO2 project (2021-2023) and the plan is to launch itsestimates. operational system in 2026. Dr Richard Engelen, Coordinator of the CoCO2Dr Richard Engelenproject and Deputy Director of the Copernicus Atmos-phere Monitoring Service (CAMS) at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), spoke to FLUXES about the project. 1. What challenge did the CoCO2 project aligned with the launch of a new Copernicus Sentinel want to solve? satellite mission. Then, countries could already use At the time of the Paris Agreement negotiations, theobservations from the service in the second UN Global European Commission decided that they need moreStocktake, when they assess their progress towards the information to support climate mitigation actions. Onegoals of the Paris Agreement. of the ideas was to use the existing Copernicus programme to provide observation-based information4. What is the process for scaling up the results? for countries and the EU Commission. This ideaThe CO2 Monitoring, Verification and Support system resulted in a series of recommendations, reports andwill be run by the Copernicus programme, which is task forces, eventually leading to EU projects such asfunded by the European Union. On the member state CoCO2. The CoCO2 made a prototype for a monitoringlevel, we aim for countries to use the data to evaluate or and verification service, currently called CO2MVS.improve their greenhouse gas estimates. On the global level, we are working closely with new initiatives, such 2. How did you solve the challenge? as World Meteorological Organisations Global Green-Photo: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather ForecastsThe prototype system of CO2MVS allows estimates ofhouse Gas Watch (see page 48). Developing countries carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissionswill have to start reporting their greenhouse gas emis-from human activities on the global, regional and localsions from 2024 onwards, and so if this tool can help scales. It uses a similar level of mathematical rigourthem achieve their goals that would be a success.that is used in other applications, such as numerical weather prediction and air quality predictions. The5. How can the results be used on theservice can improve the effectiveness of greenhousenational, regional and local scales? gas measurements like never before.Users have started to adopt the system: Germany has initiated the use of some of the pre-operational data in 3. What are the results?their national emissions reporting as additional infor-The work was finished in 2023, and now the Copernicusmation. On the EU level, we are working to provide Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) will imple- more up-to-date information on methane through local ment these plans. The CO2 Monitoring, Verification andmonitoring to some of the Directorates-General (DGs) Support system should be operational in 2026, which isof the Commission.'