Measurement technology company Vaisala has launched its New Climate Business with the acquisition of its client Quanterra Systems, a company specializing in atmospheric monitoring of CO2 fluxes.
The new business, which was launched in response to political uncertainty and skepticism around the efficacy of climate initiatives, aims to offer transparency and scientific proof for greenhouse gas emissions.
Fernando Trolia Slamic, the recently appointed head of the New Climate Business, explained, “Without knowing exactly how much greenhouse gas is emitted or sequestered into nature, companies and institutions struggle to know their true climate impact or to communicate facts truthfully to their stakeholders.”
Measuring carbon sinks
Quanterra offers site-specific atmospheric carbon monitoring for nature-based industries such as agri-food and biofuels, as well as public and private research communities, including carbon certification and trading markets.
In practice, the company deploys and operates networks of measurement towers at its customers’ locations to directly and continuously monitor atmospheric flows of carbon, water and energy at the site. The data on these flows, also known as fluxes, is then analyzed for the customer with proprietary methods and the service is billed as an annual subscription.
Quanterra customers can use the real-time data collected over long periods of time as verification for the effectiveness of their low-carbon products and programs. Reliable on-site data can also be used to support the generation of high-quality carbon credits for the carbon trading market, offering a new revenue stream to agricultural operators and other managed nature assets.
“Even though the business is in its early stages, we see great potential for future growth,” said Anne Jalkala, executive vice president of the weather, energy and environment business at Vaisala. “The planet needs a solution like this. Emission reductions alone will not be sufficient to fight climate change – we also need verified carbon sinks. Reliable measurements will also help re-establish public trust toward climate action.”
Rebecca Mitchell, CEO of Quanterra, added, “Vaisala’s sensors have been a key part of Quanterra’s solution from the very start, and we are well aligned for the future. With Vaisala’s experience and muscles, we will be able to scale the business faster than would have been possible by ourselves. Their global field service coverage will also enable us to help new customers more affordably in areas like Australia, South America and Asia.”
Opportunities in GHG measurements
Vaisala has long been enabling climate action through measurement technology. Among other areas, Vaisala’s instruments and data are used in setting up and operating wind and solar farms. The company also helps industrial clients such as data centers and battery manufacturers save resources by optimizing their production and energy consumption.
“There is a lot we already do to help the world become more sustainable,” Trolia Slamic concluded. “Carbon flux monitoring is another bold step for us to fulfill our purpose of taking every measure for the planet. Our New Climate Business team drives Vaisala’s current and future greenhouse gas measurement offering – and we’re only getting started.”
In related news, new research from the UK’s Met Office has revealed the potential of machine learning-based weather models to revolutionize global seasonal forecasting