As the world races to meet ambitious climate targets, new tools have been developed to track progress, guide decisions, and hold stakeholders accountable. One of the most powerful is climate space tech.
This article explores how space tech supports sustainability, and how this climate innovation has become a key part of global climate action and corporate ESG goals.
The Role of Space Tech in Climate Innovation
Unlike traditional climate monitoring methods, space-based systems can capture comprehensive, real-time data on the entire planet. This makes space tech unique in its ability to address global challenges such as carbon emissions, deforestation, and natural disasters.
“Space is very important for science,” explained Jean-Marc Astorg, Strategy Director for the French national space agency CNES, during a session at VivaTech 2025 focused on emerging space markets. “Climate change can only be monitored with satellites. We have 50 parameters capturing climate change, and 25 are coming from satellites.”
Currently, there are more than 150 Earth observation satellites in orbit, providing scientists with data on Earth’s environmental changes. Earth observation satellites on climate missions are monitoring:
Land use
Ocean topography
Global snow and ice coverage (the cryosphere)
Air quality, temperature and humidity
Atmospheric data
The scale of space-based environmental monitoring means satellites can cover vast areas and give frequent updates. Insights on these environmental factors allow governments, organizations and companies to detect climate trends early, measure impacts with precision, and act before crises escalate.
Satellite Data as a Climate Solution
Satellites can of course observe the earth, but the real value of satellite data climate solutions is in the ability to quantify and qualify environmental change. This capability has three critical applications:
Carbon Tracking and Emissions Measurement
Accurately measuring greenhouse gases (GHGs) is a cornerstone of climate policy. For over a decade, satellites such as NASA’s OCO-2 and Europe’s Copernicus Sentinel-5P have been continuously monitoring carbon dioxide and methane concentrations globally.
These initiatives are used to detect emissions hotspots, such as industrial facilities or regions with high fossil fuel usage. This type of space-based environmental monitoring enables scientists to verify self-reported emissions data from countries and companies, providing accountability in international climate agreements.
For corporations operating under ESG reporting frameworks, these insights are essential. Satellite solutions for climate change allow enterprises to measure and validate reductions in carbon footprints so they can improve their compliance and credibility.
Monitoring Deforestation and Land-Use Changes
The world loses about 10 million hectares of forests each year – about the size of Iceland. Satellites provide a crucial tool in the fight against deforestation. Platforms such as Global Forest Watch, powered by data from NASA satellites, track deforestation in near-real time. These insights give governments the tools to enforce environmental laws and enable NGOs to raise alarms when illegal logging takes place.
For companies with supply chains tied to timber, palm oil, or beef, monitoring land-use change is also key to backing up their deforestation-free commitments. This is one example of how space tech directly connects sustainability to business accountability.
Disaster Response and Resilience Planning
The impacts of climate change are also seen in extreme weather events. Floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts are growing in frequency and intensity. Satellites provide critical data for early warnings and post-disaster assessment.
For example, during wildfires in California, NASA satellites track active fires and the spread of smoke plumes to identify areas that may be at risk. In flood-prone regions of Western Europe, ESA satellites are used to map flooded areas and help aid organizations to direct resources effectively. By helping governments and NGOs respond quickly, satellite data climate solutions can save lives and reduce economic losses.
Aligning Space Tech with CSR and ESG Goals
Sustainability efforts are no longer optional for businesses. Instead, sustainability is a core expectation from investors, regulators, and consumers. Climate space tech helps CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) frameworks work together.
Companies can use space-based environmental monitoring to strengthen their sustainability commitments. For example, major retailers are partnering with initiatives such as Better Cotton to track cotton sourcing through satellite data and ensure sustainable farming practices. Energy companies also use satellite imagery to monitor methane leaks.
Partnerships are growing too. Governments, NGOs, and startups now collaborate to build shared platforms that democratize access to data. One example is the partnership between EU member states and a host of European organizations on Copernicus Earth Observation data, which is free and open. Space startups are also innovating, offering Space-as-a-Service models that provide high-resolution images and AI-driven analytics tailored for industries from agriculture to finance.
The outcome of these efforts is a virtuous cycle: satellite solutions for climate change not only improve environmental outcomes but also align with the business goals of ESG transparency.
The Future of Space-Driven Climate Solutions
The role of space technologies in climate initiatives will only expand. The next frontier involves integrating satellite data climate solutions into financial systems and climate risk management and tackling some challenges that limit its potential.
Expanding Use Cases for Climate Finance and Risk Management
Investors increasingly rely on climate risk assessments when making portfolio decisions. By integrating earth observation for sustainability into financial models, analysts can evaluate risks such as sea-level rise, extreme weather exposure, or deforestation impacts on supply chains. One example: insurers are using satellite imagery to identify and manage flood risks, which allows them to provide more accurate pricing and coverage.
Carbon markets are another area undergoing a transformation. Independent verification of carbon offsets is a challenge, but companies such as Pachama use satellite imagery and AI to verify forest carbon credits and ensure companies are funding legitimate conservation projects. Ensuring trust and transparency in sustainability investments is key to unlocking funds in climate finance.
Challenges in Accessibility, Cost, and Data Sharing
Several challenges remain when it comes to space tech climate innovation. High-resolution data can be expensive, limiting access for NGOs or developing countries that often need it most. Data sharing between agencies and private providers also creates privacy concerns. And there’s an increasing need for governance frameworks that ensure fair access while also protecting privacy and security.
Once these hurdles are overcome, space tech can reach its full potential. But even today, climate space tech is creating tools that are transforming how we respond to the planet’s greatest challenges. It turns out the perspective and precision needed to protect Earth can be found just outside its atmosphere.
To learn more about how the business of space is booming, check out this article: How Startups & Investors Are Growing the Space Economy
