(Credit: Pixabay)Carbon emissions have dropped by nearly 18% in the United States since 2005 as corporations, agriculture and governments continue efforts toward net zero goals while more can be done to fix the natural impact of emissions, according to new data by CarbonSpace.
CarbonSpace’s technology monitors carbon dioxide uptake and emissions from farms, fields, forests and other land use. It says that information can help businesses and governments make changes and reduce emissions based on the impact of different types of land use.
The company says the data shows a variety of carbon information and estimates, from worldwide statistics to a more localized viewpoint, which can help businesses and governments monitor land-based emissions throughout their supply chains.
“Our aim in creating the CarbonSpace platform is to provide a global carbon footprint transparency and encourage improved and more sustainable land management practices, in particular within the agrifood and forestry sectors,” says CarbonSpace co-founder and CEO Dr. Oleg Demidov.
CarbonSpace data goes back to 2000 and it has an interactive map to show worldwide carbon outputs. It also has done case studies on several farm and grazing lands across the globe.
Those projects analyzed carbon improvements not just from cutting emissions but also sustainable land practices to can lead to sustainable improvements. CarbonSpace hopes the data helps improve supply chain transparency and help produce nature-based investment in making emissions goals.
The World Economic Forum says that nature and natural climate efforts can produce around a third of the carbon mitigation needed to reach net zero goals by 2030. That said, analysis from the Climate Policy Initiative shows that nature-based efforts only receive 8% of public climate financing and a report by the United Nations Environment Programme shows that nature-based investment needs to triple by 2030 if emissions goals are to be met.
Nature loss and natural capital have been slow to be priorities for industries and its supply chains.
An analysis by S&P Global Ratings shows that natural capital can be as beneficial to investors and policymakers as carbon pricing and that deforestation could have resulted in a $4 billion loss to the Brazilian cattle market in 2020.
Sustainability organization CDP says implementing landscape and jurisdictional approaches can address corporate supply chain issues like deforestation. Jefferies listed natural capital as an emerging practice to improve businesses environmental, social and governance investment goals in the coming year.
In the US, CarbonSpace compared the carbon footprint of states from 2000-2004 with levels from 2016-2020 and also compared those to a national commitment for reductions.
In the US, the data shows that California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York account for more than half of the country’s carbon footprint. As the US attempts to cut emissions by 50% by 2030 based on 2005 levels the states.
Those states have all cut emissions, with California making up the largest reduction at 19%, but each state has different levels of commitment, CarbonSpace says. For example, Florida and Pennsylvania both aim to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, but Florida’s goal is based on 1990 levels and Pennsylvania’s on 2005 levels.
Dublin, Ireland-based CarbonSpace has been validated the European Space Agency and processes satellite, sensor and inventory data, which yields high spatial and temporal resolutions and allows for reliable assessments across geographies, the company says.
