Accurate land-use mapping is a critical component of national greenhouse gas reporting in the LULUCF sector. Earth Observation offers significant potential in this context, yet its integration into operational reporting remains limited.
Research conducted during Valentina Cima’s PhD stay at GeoVille addressed this gap. An initial analysis of national inventories and Biennial Transparency Reports under the Paris Agreement showed that while EO data is increasingly available, it is still underused. The main limitation is not spatial resolution or update frequency, but the lack of thematic harmonisation with IPCC categories and national land-use definitions.
To address this challenge, the research focused on developing methodologies that better align EO products with reporting needs. This included deep learning approaches combining Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and elevation data with national sample-based land-use information to generate consistent wall-to-wall land-use maps.
In addition, the work explored how national datasets can be integrated into the Copernicus CLCplus Core framework, improving LULUCF mapping products and making them more suitable for operational use in national inventories.
The results highlight the importance of bridging the gap between available EO data and reporting requirements, supporting more consistent, transparent, and actionable greenhouse gas reporting workflows.
Contact us!