NPL to lead on greenhouse gas measurement capability

Alongside the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO), the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), Bristol University, and the James Hutton Institute, NPL will work to improve the UK’s current capability to determine when and where greenhouse gases are being emitted.

The investment is funded by the National Environment Research Council (NERC), part of UKRI, and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). It is aligned to the Building a Green Future strategic theme set out in the UKRI strategy.

It will focus on development of ground-based instrument networks that provide essential capability for monitoring the sources and sinks of greenhouse gases in the UK. It will also support the assessment and advancement in using space-based measurements of atmospheric greenhouse gases.

The UK government has committed through the Climate Change Act 2008 to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and the Sixth Carbon Budget brings greater clarity and guidance on the UK’s pathway.

In a statement announcing the investment, NPL described the ambition as a highly complex societal challenge, for which measurements lie at the heart of the solution.

The beneficiaries of the new funding will work alongside the Met Office and continue to collaborate and seek new opportunities to further their work in the area.

“Valid knowledge of GHG emissions is crucial to demonstrating progress towards net zero,” said Tom Gardiner, principal research scientist at NPL.

“This capability investment is part of a longer-term goal to develop an integrated system to provide independent evidence of changes to GHG sources and sinks, underpinned by the latest atmospheric science and metrology. We will be working closely with partners to utilise UK expertise and support national and international climate targets.” 

Matt Rigby, professor of atmospheric chemistry at Bristol University commented: “The UK has a world-leading system for measuring greenhouse gases and is one of only a handful of countries that use atmospheric observations to evaluate its emissions reports.

“This funding is the first step towards a next-generation system that can estimate emissions in a timelier manner and with more detailed information on major source sectors and regions.”