Goal 13: Climate Action

Five UOW researchers have joined more than 60 researchers worldwide on an international study using a NASA satellite to track carbon dioxide emissions for more than 100 countries around the world.

The pilot project used measurements made by NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) mission, as well as a network of surface-based observations, to estimate carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere from 2015 to 2020. The researchers, including UOW’s Distinguished Professor Noel Cressie, Associate Professor Andrew Zammit-Mangion, and Dr Michael Bertolacci from the School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics, and Associate Professor Nicholas Deutscher and Emeritus Professor David Griffith from the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, were then able to infer how much carbon dioxide was emitted and removed from Earth’s surface through natural processes.

The findings come at an opportune time as countries around the world take part in a stocktake of greenhouse gas emissions – a process to assess the world’s collective progress toward limiting global warming, as specified in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The pilot project is a contribution to the first Global Stocktake, which began in 2021 at COP26 in Glasgow, and concluded in 2023 at COP28 in Dubai. 

• SDG 13 – Climate Action
• SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals  

Learn how satellite data is helping us track global carbon emissions

In a world first, a team led by University of Wollongong (UOW) researchers has developed a webcam (MossCam) and smart sensor system in Antarctica to remotely monitor moss beds, providing scientists with invaluable and continuous images and data about the Antarctic environment.  
 
A team from Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF) research program left Australia and headed south to study the Antarctic moss beds using drones, highly specialised sensor systems, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Two of those researchers included UOW Honorary Senior Fellow Dr Johan Barthélemy and UOW moss biologist Ms Krystal Randall. 
 
According to Ms Randall, mosses are commonly referred to as the forests of Antarctica because they provide habitat for much of Antarctica’s terrestrial biodiversity, such as tardigrades, fungi, and bacteria. Mosses also play important roles such as taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and insulating permafrost soils in ice-free areas of Antarctica.  
 
By monitoring the moss beds, scientists can understand and track the impact of climate change on Antarctica. 

• SDG 4 – Quality Education 
• SDG 13 – Climate Action 
• SDG 15 – Life on Land 

Live the journey with our Antarctic MossCam