NextGenCarbon

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are substantially contributing to global warming. Gases such as carbon dioxide and methane trap heat within the Earth’s climate system, which intensifies the greenhouse effect. As a result, global temperatures are rising, with noticeable consequences: rising sea levels and melting glaciers are among the most dramatic effects.

The European Union has set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2020. Understanding how GHGs are emitted, absorbed, and exchanged between the atmosphere and ecosystems is essential to achieve this goal.

Despite major advances in climate science in the past decades, significant challenges remain in consistently modelling carbon fluxes and tracking their evolution across diverse ecosystems. To address these gaps, the project develops advanced carbon modelling solutions, integrates Earth observation data, and applies machine learning to improve data analysis.

Based on this approach, the project aims to provide robust data that will assist in the development of policies enabling the EU to achieve its carbon neutrality targets. The data will also offer support for land managers to make informed decisions for carbon-neutral land management.

Project partners from 22 European countries are working on the project.

We contribute to the project with our expertise in remote sensing. Our Swiss-based research infrastructure supports the project with data from multiple sites. The GNSS sensors installed at these locations measure vegetation optical depth, which helps to improve the understanding of changes in forest canopy water content and ecosystem water dynamics. These data can be integrated into climate modelling frameworks developed within the project.

Funding

HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

Time frame

2025 - 2029

Project website

NextGenCarbon

Cicero – Senter for klimaforskning

ETH Zürich

Gamma Remote sensing

Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

Karlsruhe Institute for Technology

Ludwigs Universität München

Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie

Natural Resources Institute Finland

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

SP – Science Partners

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

University of Antwerp

Univerista di Bologna

University of Exeter

Universita di Firenze

Universität Leipzig

Universite Paris-Saclay

Universität Zürich

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Wageningen University & Research