In this conversation, Sean Crowell interviews J-F Gauthier, Vice President of GHGSat, about the company's mission to monitor greenhouse gas emissions using satellite technology. J-F shares his unique journey into the field of remote sensing, the evolution of GHGSat, and the challenges faced by commercial entities in this space. The discussion covers the importance of accurate emission detection, collaboration within the remote sensing community, and the future goals of GHGSat, including the ambition to monitor every emitter globally on a daily basis. J-F emphasizes the need for actionable data to drive environmental change and the importance of collaboration among various stakeholders in the fight against climate change.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to GHG-Sat and Its Mission

00:20 JF Gauthier's Background and Career Path

03:47 The Genesis of GHG-Sat and Its Technology

06:38 Current Constellation and Future Plans

08:30 Commercial Challenges in Methane Monitoring

12:23 Understanding GHG-Sat's Detection Capabilities

15:56 Validation Efforts and Transparency in Data

21:54 Collaboration and Standardization in the Industry

25:13 Uncertainty in Measurements and Its Implications

25:50 Understanding False Positives in Methane Detection

27:42 The Role of Wind in Emission Measurements

29:52 Source Attribution Challenges in Emission Data

32:46 Human Oversight in Automated Data Analysis

34:14 Customer Interaction and Data Delivery

39:53 Future Goals for GHGSat

44:40 Challenges in CO2 Measurement

49:36 The Importance of Actionable Data

Keywords

GHGSat, remote sensing, greenhouse gases, methane detection, CO2 monitoring, satellite technology, environmental impact, emissions measurement, climate change, industrial emissions

White paper on GHGSat Validation: https://www.ghgsat.com/en/scientific-publications/validation-and-metrics-for-emissions-detection-by-satellite/