Transforming Climate Action: The Critical Role of G3W Initiative

As global temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, timely and accurate data on Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) is crucial for shaping effective climate policies, guiding mitigation efforts, and ensuring community resilience worldwide. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) addresses this need through the Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (G3W) initiative, a key part of WMO’s climate action strategy. The recent approval of G3W Implementation Plan by the WMO Executive Council (EC-78) marks a decisive step towards a more robust framework for GHG monitoring and management.

Accurate GHG monitoring is central to achieving the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to keep it to 1.5 degrees. The G3W initiative offers an integrated operational framework combining surface-based and space-based observing systems with advanced modelling capabilities, enabling near-real-time GHG monitoring. This reduces uncertainty in evaluating climate actions and provides timely, actionable information on both human and natural influences on atmospheric GHG levels. Specifically designed to support WMO Members in their mitigation efforts under the Paris Agreement, G3W enhances the precision of GHG monitoring, aiding in the assessment of mitigation actions by Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.

WMO’s long-standing expertise in coordinating international collaboration in weather prediction and climate analysis, coupled with its history in greenhouse gas monitoring and research through the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) and the Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System (IG3IS), forms the backbone of the G3W initiative. By leveraging this expertise, G3W enhances the capacity of WMO Members to monitor GHG fluxes on a global scale, providing decision-relevant information at various scales, including urban areas and specific sectors.

Building on WMO’s extensive experience in greenhouse gas observation and research, the G3W implementation plan envisions a phased approach beginning with a pre-operational phase from 2024 to 2027.The initial focus will be on the three most important greenhouse gases influenced by human activities: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). It takes into consideration both human and natural influences on the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The approval of the Implementation Plan for the G3W initiative highlights its importance in addressing climate change. This plan details how G3W will operate, allowing it to provide monthly reports on the movement of CO2 and CH4 between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere, with precise spatial resolution. Additionally, G3W will offer 3-dimensional data on greenhouse gas abundance. These valuable insights and timely data guarantee that policymakers and stakeholders access the latest and most accurate information to steer their actions in combating climate change.

In conclusion, the Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (G3W) initiative represents a significant advancement in global climate action. Its implementation will provide the critical data needed to effectively monitor and mitigate GHG emissions, directly supporting WMO Members in their efforts to implement the Paris Agreement. The urgency of climate change mitigation demands bold and coordinated action, and I encourage all WMO members to ensure expert human resource support and active participation in the joint Advisory Group and other relevant teams that will support the G3W activities.