RESPIRE-CLIMATE

Project background

RESPIRE-CLIMATE is one of the central pillars of the broader RESPIRE initiative (high Resolution air Emissions Systems to suPport modellIng and monitoRing Efforts), aimed at enhancing strategic capabilities for modelling and monitoring atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Spain. RESPIRE is structured into two main components: RESPIRE-AIR focuses on air pollutant emissions, while RESPIRE-CLIMATE monitors national GHG emissions

RESPIRE-CLIMATE is coordinated by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) and the State Meteorological Agency of Spain (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, AEMET). The project brings together an interdisciplinary, international team of scientists, engineers, and technicians, with balanced gender representation. RESPIRE-CLIMATE received formal endorsement from the WMO-IG3IS initiative as it complies with the stringent international standards in atmospheric modelling and emissions estimation.

Objective(s)

The goal of RESPIRE-CLIMATE is to develop a national monitoring system for GHG emissions, specifically for CO2 and CH4. This system will combine information from detailed bottom-up emission inventories estimated by BSC with ground-based observations from instruments operated by AEMET.

Main elements of the RESPIRE-CLIMATE project
RESPIRE-CLIMATE
  • WP1 develops an open-source emission processor that downscales Spain’s official GHG emission inventories (reported under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC) using detailed, country-specific spatial proxies.
  • WP2 focuses on developing a low-latency GHG emissions monitoring system that estimates anthropogenic emissions from fossil and biofuel combustion. The system provides 1 km × 1 km daily data, available within three months.
  • WP3 addresses current gaps in GHG monitoring by establishing a nationwide measurement network.
  • WP4 is centred on developing a web application for visualizing, analysing, and downloading emissions data from WPs 1–3, supporting information needs at national, subnational, and urban levels.

Outputs

  • WP1 supports the collection of annual emission maps of CO2 and CH4 with a spatial resolution of up to 1 km x 1 km, organized by sector following the Gridded Nomenclature for Reporting (GNFR) system, to support sub-national entities in providing actionable emission data for sub-national entities and serve as input for atmospheric transport models.
  • WP2 develops a Python-based and open-source system to (i) download low latency and high temporal resolution activity data, (ii) preprocess, control and homogenise the collected data; (iii) estimate CO2 and CH4 emissions by combining activity data and emission factors through bottom-up and downscaling approaches; and (iv) produce the final GHG emission products to be exploited through the web application, including high resolution maps of daily emissions, per sector, and daily summaries of emissions aggregated at different regional levels and for the key metropolitan regions.
  • WP3 will help to compare the observational data on emission fluxes with the bottom-up emission estimates developed in WP1 and WP2 to quantify uncertainties in the estimated emissions.
  • WP4 developed a portal to provide access to the main products of RESPIRE-CLIMATE with various visualization options (e.g., charts and georeferenced maps), at different spatial resolutions (including gridded maps for peninsular Spain and the Canary Islands, as well as aggregated maps for autonomous regions, provinces, and metropolitan areas), and in multiple downloadable formats (i.e., csv, netCDF, images).

Expected outcomes

  • Provide high-resolution GHG emissions data to support policymakers, scientists, industries, and the public. This data will assist in creating effective emissions inventories and strategies to meet Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets, enabling data-driven decisions to reduce emissions at all levels.
  • Collaborate with the RESPIRE-AIR project, which focuses on air pollutant emissions, to identify co-benefits for air quality improvement.
  • Ensure accessibility of high-resolution datasets to the research community for integration with atmospheric models and validation of future satellite missions, such as the CO2 Monitoring and Verification Support (CO2MVS) initiative.
  • Offer low-latency emission estimates to support global, regional, and national GHG inverse modeling efforts, enhancing Spain's capabilities in emissions research and atmospheric monitoring.
  • Provide public access to high-resolution GHG emissions maps, promoting transparency and community involvement in environmental initiatives.
  • Support the core objectives of IG3IS by delivering actionable information at national, sectoral, and urban levels in Spain.
  • Empower stakeholders to engage in climate action by fostering collaborations, accessing international funding, and sharing information on related events.

Achievements

Spain now joins a small group of countries that have GHG monitoring systems supported by the IG3IS. RESPIRE-CLIMATE allows:

  • Supports local and national climate action by offering data tailored to regions, cities, and sectors.
  • Enables independent verification of GHG emission reductions in sectors such as energy, transport, industry, or agriculture.
  • Rapid monitoring of emissions, with information available a few months after their occurrence, allowing responses in near-real-time.
  • Increased transparency and reporting capacity, aligned with the European Union's (EU) climate governance framework and Paris Agreement commitments.

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