# City emissions monitoring with satellite data Satellite data already maps climate indicators of a city, such as surface heat, sealed ground and green cover. City-scale emission estimates from space are still being developed: the CO2M mission, planned from 2027, works with inventories and models. A city that plans such monitoring needs clear requirements on scale, indicators and evidence. ## What satellite data can measure Two groups of measurements matter for a city's climate work. They differ in how mature they are. ### Climate indicators: available today Earth observation measures what is on the ground and how it changes. For a climate plan this gives indicators such as land surface temperature [5], the degree of sealed ground at 10 m [6], and green cover and street trees in nearly 800 European cities [7]. They cover the whole city in the same way and can be repeated over the years. The use cases on [urban heat](https://leto.space/use-cases/urban-heat-islands/), [green spaces](https://leto.space/use-cases/urban-green-monitoring/) and [land use change](https://leto.space/use-cases/land-use-change/) explain each of them. ### Greenhouse gases: still being built Satellites can also measure greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Sensors in orbit already allow actual methane emissions to be compared with those reported nationally [3]. For carbon dioxide from human activity, ESA is building the CO2M mission. It will measure carbon dioxide and methane at 2 km by 2 km across a 250 km swath, with three satellites and the first launch planned for 2027 [1]. ESA describes it as an independent source of information to assess the effectiveness of policy measures [2]. **Figure:** Surface heat, sealed ground and green cover are available per district today. CO2M will measure in pixels of 2 km by 2 km, far coarser than these district indicators. Schematic city, illustrative values. ## How a monitoring system combines the data A monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system does not replace a city's emission inventory. It sets independent observations next to it. - **The inventory** counts emissions bottom up, sector by sector. Satellite data complements it; it does not replace it. - **Satellite indicators** show the state of heat, sealing and green cover across the whole area and how they change after measures. - **Atmospheric measurements** from satellites, combined with ground measurements and bottom-up inventories in inverse models, assess emissions and their trends at larger scales [1]. Earth observation already supports the monitoring of greenhouse-gas emissions in cities as part of its urban applications [4]. How far down to the city level these methods reach is what current research projects test. ## What you get For a city today, the reliable output is an indicator set, not an emission total from space. - **A set of climate indicators** per district: surface heat, sealing, green cover and tree cover, repeatable as new data are published. - **Maps for the climate plan and its reporting**, from the same sources for every district. - **A view of what emission data is coming**, so that requirements and procurement plans do not promise more than the data can deliver. ## Limits **Limits** - **Scale:** CO2M measures in pixels of 2 km by 2 km, and ESA names megacities, regions and countries as its scales of assessment \[1]. For a mid-sized city, satellite data adds a check at a larger scale; it does not yield a city total on its own. - **Clouds:** Greenhouse-gas measurements need a clear view. CO2M carries a cloud imager so that samples with cloud can be removed \[1], which means fewer usable measurements over cloudy regions. - **Sources need models:** A satellite sees the gas in the air, not which chimney, road or heating system it came from. Allocating emissions to their sources needs inventories and atmospheric models \[1]. ## Related use cases - [Monitoring air quality](https://leto.space/use-cases/air-quality-monitoring/): What satellites show about pollutants over a city. - [Enriching CSRD reporting](https://leto.space/use-cases/csrd-reporting/): Sustainability reporting data for companies. - [Cities and regions](https://leto.space/cities-and-regions/): All use cases and our consulting for the public sector. ## Find providers and get started Providers offer emission estimates, air quality data and verification services. The [Spacegraph](https://leto.space/spacegraph/) marketplace has categories for emissions and air quality and for carbon and ESG verification. Because emission data from space is still being developed, requirements matter. Writing requirements that state the scale, the indicators and the evidence you need is the task of our requirements and procurement service, including [our work with cities](https://leto.space/cities-and-regions/#climatelens) in an FFG flagship project. Your contact for this project is Katherine Webber-Ing. **Katherine Webber-Ing**, Digital & Green Transformation Consultant [Requirements and procurement](https://leto.space/consulting/procurement/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can satellites measure the CO2 emissions of a single city? Not on their own, and not yet routinely. ESA's CO2M mission will measure carbon dioxide and methane at 2 km by 2 km. Its measurements are combined with ground measurements and bottom-up inventories in inverse models, and ESA names megacities, regions, countries and the globe as the scales of assessment [1]. For most cities, the emission inventory remains the basis, and satellite data adds an independent check at a larger scale. ### Which climate indicators can a city take from satellite data today? Land surface temperature for heat [5], the degree of sealed ground at 10 m [6], and green cover and street trees [7]. These indicators cover the whole city in the same way, can be repeated over the years and complement local statistics in a climate plan. ## Sources 1. [CO2M (Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring mission), European Space Agency (ESA), SentiWiki, accessed 2026-10-06](https://sentiwiki.copernicus.eu/web/co2m) 2. [Copernicus Sentinel Expansion missions, European Space Agency (ESA), accessed 2026-10-06](https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Copernicus_Sentinel_Expansion_missions) 3. [EUSPA EO and GNSS Market Report, Issue 2, 2024, EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 2024](https://www.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/external/publications/euspa_market_report_2024.pdf) 4. [EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 1: Urban development and cultural heritage, EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 2026-05-26](https://www.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/EU_Space_Market_Report_2026.pdf) 5. [Landsat 9, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), accessed 2026-10-06](https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/landsat-9) 6. [Imperviousness Density 2018 (raster 10 m and 100 m), Europe, 3-yearly, Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, accessed 2026-10-06](https://land.copernicus.eu/en/products/high-resolution-layer-imperviousness/imperviousness-density-2018) 7. [Urban Atlas Land Cover/Land Use and Street Tree Layer 2012 and 2018: Product User Manual, Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, accessed 2026-10-06](https://library.land.copernicus.eu/products/Urban_Atlas_Land_Cover-Land_Use_and_Street_Tree_Layer_2012_and_2018_PUM_v6.html) Page: