Japan to monitor greenhouse gas emissions employing passenger flights for 1st time

Japan to monitor greenhouse gas emissions employing passenger flights for 1st time
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Japan will start monitoring greenhouse gas emissions using spectrometers installed on commercial passenger flights, marking a global first as the country steps up efforts to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Anadolu Agency reported.

Japan’s aerospace agency, JAXA, and the country’s largest airline group, ANA Holdings, are working together to commercialize high-resolution atmospheric monitoring by using data collected during regular passenger flights.

The two partners said Tuesday that they have equipped a commercial ANA Boeing 737 with a JAXA-developed device capable of detecting atmospheric particles such as carbon dioxide through a cabin window.

A second unit is expected to be installed by March, with additional deployments planned across ANA’s fleet.

Spectrometers measure how different gases absorb sunlight at specific wavelengths, allowing for more efficient detection of emission concentrations than traditional mid-flight air sampling.

JAXA has monitored greenhouse gas emissions using its Ibuki satellite since 2009, and has collaborated with ANA since 2020 to develop in-cabin observation technology.

While satellite observations are conducted from about 600 kilometers (372 miles) above Earth, data collected from ANA flights operating at an altitude of roughly 10 kilometers allows for more detailed and localized monitoring.