Sustainability Atlas
Climate Tech & Data·9 min read·

Case Study: Satellite Remote Sensing for Climate — A Leading Company's Implementation and Lessons Learned

How Planet Labs, GHGSat, and Global Forest Watch use satellites for methane detection and deforestation monitoring—with implementation lessons for climate teams.

Case Study: Satellite Remote Sensing for Climate — A Leading Company's Implementation and Lessons Learned

The satellite remote sensing market for climate monitoring has reached $48 billion in 2025, growing at over 12% annually as companies and governments race to deploy space-based systems that can detect methane plumes, track deforestation, and verify emissions claims. With over 480 remote sensing satellites launched in 2025 alone and more than 180 Earth observation missions actively operating, satellite data has transformed from a research curiosity into an essential tool for climate accountability. This case study examines how leading organizations—Planet Labs, GHGSat, and Global Forest Watch—have implemented satellite monitoring systems and the practical lessons their experiences offer.

Why It Matters

Climate commitments mean nothing without verification. Companies pledge net-zero targets, governments sign deforestation agreements, and carbon markets trade credits—but until recently, independently verifying these claims at scale was nearly impossible. Satellite remote sensing changes this equation fundamentally.

The stakes are significant: tropical primary forest loss reached 6.7 million hectares in 2024—nearly double the previous year—generating 3.1 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions. Methane, responsible for roughly 30% of global warming since pre-industrial times, leaks invisibly from oil and gas infrastructure, landfills, and agricultural operations. Traditional ground-based monitoring catches only a fraction of these emissions.

Satellite systems now provide what ground teams cannot: global coverage, consistent methodology, and the ability to monitor remote or politically sensitive regions. For compliance officers navigating the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), sustainability teams tracking Scope 3 emissions, and investors assessing climate risk, satellite data has become indispensable.

Key Concepts

Types of Climate Monitoring Satellites

Optical Imaging Satellites capture visible and near-infrared light to track land use changes, vegetation health, and deforestation. Planet Labs operates over 200 SuperDove satellites that image the entire Earth daily at 3-meter resolution—detailed enough to identify individual clearings in tropical forests.

Hyperspectral Satellites measure light across hundreds of spectral bands, enabling detection of specific gases and materials. Planet's Tanager-1 satellite, launched in August 2024, captures 400 spectral bands at 30-meter resolution, covering 300,000 square kilometers daily for methane and CO2 monitoring.

Specialized Gas Detection Satellites like GHGSat's constellation use Fabry-Perot imaging spectrometers tuned specifically to methane's absorption signature at 1.6 micrometers wavelength. Their 12-satellite constellation achieves 25-meter resolution—precise enough to identify emissions from individual facilities.

Data Products and Resolution

Spatial Resolution determines the smallest features detectable. Planet's 3-meter imagery can identify buildings and small clearings; GHGSat's 25-meter resolution pinpoints facility-level emissions; broader atmospheric sensors like TROPOMI provide 7-kilometer resolution for regional patterns.

Temporal Resolution describes revisit frequency. Daily imaging from Planet enables near-real-time deforestation alerts. GHGSat's constellation achieves 14-day revisits for standard monitoring, with priority sites receiving more frequent coverage.

Detection Limits define minimum measurable emissions. GHGSat can detect methane emissions as low as 100 kg/hour under ideal conditions—equivalent to a small industrial leak—with precision of 1-5% depending on surface reflectance and atmospheric conditions.

What's Working

Rapid Detection and Response

When Planet's Tanager-1 satellite detected its first methane plume—a 1,600 kg/hour emission from a waste dump—the data was processed and quantified within 12 hours of observation. This speed enables regulatory response while emissions are still occurring, rather than months later through traditional reporting.

GHGSat's constellation has observed over 4 million industrial facilities across 110 countries, detecting more than 20,000 emission events totaling 534 megatons of CO2 equivalent. Their 2023 analysis of the global energy sector identified 3,114 emission sites releasing 8.3 million tonnes of methane annually—data that would take decades to compile through ground inspection.

Open Data Accelerating Action

Global Forest Watch's partnership with the University of Maryland demonstrates how open satellite data can drive accountability. Their weekly GLAD deforestation alerts, available freely to governments, companies, and NGOs, have become the standard reference for monitoring forest commitments. The platform's 2024 data revealed that fires—not agriculture—had become the leading cause of tropical forest loss for the first time, driving 50% of primary forest destruction.

Planet Labs and Carbon Mapper have committed to making facility-level methane and CO2 data freely available through open data portals. This transparency enables civil society to hold emitters accountable even when regulators lack capacity.

AI Integration Multiplying Value

In March 2025, Planet Labs partnered with Anthropic to apply large language models to satellite imagery analysis. Each Planet satellite now uses onboard Nvidia Jetson platforms for preliminary analysis, while cloud-based AI systems identify patterns across the 1-2 terabytes of imagery each satellite downlinks daily. This combination of space-based sensing and AI-powered analysis enables monitoring at scales previously impossible.

What Isn't Working

Intermittent Coverage Creates Blind Spots

Satellites capture snapshots, not continuous streams. A methane leak may occur between observation windows; a forest fire may start and spread in the gap between revisits. GHGSat's single-satellite 14-day revisit time means many emission events go undetected. Even with constellation expansion, satellites cannot match the continuous monitoring possible with ground-based sensors at specific sites.

Cloud Cover Limits Tropical Monitoring

Optical and hyperspectral satellites require clear skies. Tropical regions—where much deforestation occurs—experience persistent cloud cover that can block observations for weeks. The Amazon, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asian forests present particular challenges. Radar satellites like Sentinel-1 penetrate clouds but provide less detailed land cover classification.

Detection Thresholds Miss Smaller Emitters

While GHGSat's 100 kg/hour detection limit sounds impressive, many significant emissions fall below this threshold. A methane leak of 50 kg/hour operating continuously releases over 400 tonnes annually—substantial, but invisible to current satellites. The technology captures "super-emitters" while missing the cumulative impact of smaller, more numerous sources.

Data Integration Remains Fragmented

Organizations often struggle to integrate satellite data with their existing systems. Different satellites use different coordinate systems, resolutions, and data formats. Planet imagery, GHGSat emissions data, and Global Forest Watch alerts exist in separate platforms requiring specialized expertise to combine. The promise of comprehensive monitoring often breaks down in the practical work of data harmonization.

Real-World Examples

Planet Labs: From Daily Imaging to Hyperspectral Detection

Planet Labs built its climate monitoring capability incrementally. Starting with 3-meter daily imagery from SuperDove satellites, they established infrastructure for processing petabytes of data—ground stations achieving 10 Gbps downlink speeds, cloud computing pipelines, and distribution APIs. The Norway-funded NICFI program, providing free access to tropical monitoring for 64 countries, demonstrated demand and built user communities before the company invested in more sophisticated sensors.

The 2024 launch of Tanager-1 extended Planet into hyperspectral imaging, but the value proposition depended on existing relationships and infrastructure. Lesson: Climate monitoring capabilities compound—each layer enables the next.

GHGSat: Commercial Viability Through Focus

GHGSat succeeded by specializing relentlessly on methane. Rather than building general-purpose satellites, they optimized every design decision—orbit selection, instrument specifications, processing algorithms—for detecting methane plumes from industrial facilities. This focus enabled detection limits an order of magnitude better than broader atmospheric sensors.

Their commercial model combines free public data (building credibility and advocacy) with premium services for oil and gas companies wanting detailed facility monitoring. Many clients use GHGSat data proactively to identify and fix leaks before regulators arrive. Lesson: Specialization enables technical performance that general-purpose systems cannot match.

Global Forest Watch: Platform Thinking for Impact

The World Resources Institute built Global Forest Watch not as a data product but as a platform connecting satellite providers, research institutions, and users. University of Maryland's GLAD lab provides the core deforestation algorithms; Planet and other providers supply imagery; partner organizations develop country-specific applications.

The 2025 integration of Google DeepMind AI for classifying deforestation drivers—distinguishing agricultural expansion from mining, fires from logging—shows how platform approaches enable continuous capability improvement without rebuilding core infrastructure. Lesson: Orchestrating existing capabilities often delivers more impact than building from scratch.

Action Checklist

  • Assess current monitoring gaps: Identify which facilities, supply chain nodes, or geographic areas lack adequate emissions and land-use monitoring data.

  • Start with open data sources: Before purchasing commercial subscriptions, evaluate freely available data from Global Forest Watch, Carbon Mapper, and Sentinel satellites to understand baseline capabilities.

  • Define detection requirements precisely: Specify the minimum emission rates, spatial resolution, and revisit frequencies your use case requires—this determines which satellite products fit.

  • Plan data integration from the start: Evaluate how satellite data will connect with your existing GIS, ERP, and reporting systems before committing to specific providers.

  • Build internal interpretation capacity: Satellite data requires expertise to use correctly—invest in training or hire analysts who understand remote sensing limitations and uncertainty quantification.

  • Establish ground-truth protocols: Satellite observations should trigger field verification; build processes for confirming and acting on satellite-detected anomalies.

  • Engage with regulatory developments: EU Deforestation Regulation, SEC climate disclosure rules, and similar frameworks increasingly accept or require satellite-based verification—track how standards evolve.

FAQ

Q: How accurate is satellite-based methane detection compared to ground measurements?

A: Under ideal conditions, satellites like GHGSat achieve 1-5% precision for methane concentration, with detection limits as low as 100 kg/hour. However, accuracy depends heavily on surface reflectance, terrain, and atmospheric conditions. Independent validation studies show satellites reliably detect large emission events but may miss smaller, intermittent leaks. For high-stakes applications, satellite data should complement rather than replace ground-based verification.

Q: Can satellite monitoring satisfy regulatory compliance requirements?

A: Increasingly, yes. The EU Deforestation Regulation explicitly recognizes satellite-based monitoring for supply chain due diligence. Carbon offset registries are beginning to require satellite verification for forestry projects. However, most regulatory frameworks still accept satellite data as supplementary evidence rather than sole proof of compliance—ground verification remains important for enforcement.

Q: What is the typical cost for commercial satellite monitoring services?

A: Costs vary dramatically by application. Planet imagery subscriptions start at thousands of dollars annually for limited areas, scaling to six figures for global coverage. GHGSat's SPECTRA platform offers a free tier for general methane maps, with commercial services for detailed facility monitoring priced by site count and frequency. Global Forest Watch is entirely free. For budget planning, expect to spend $50,000-$500,000 annually for comprehensive monitoring across a multinational supply chain.

Sources

Topics

satellite monitoringremote sensingmethane detectiondeforestation monitoringGHGSatPlanet LabsGlobal Forest Watchemissions trackingclimate dataearth observationhyperspectral imaging

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