The Meeting on Carbon Dioxide, Other Greenhouse Gases and Related Measurement Techniques (GGMT-2017) from 27 to 31 August at the Empa institute in Dübendorf, Switzerland, discussed new technologies for greenhouse gas measurements. A side event on improved quality of isotopic measurements was led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Other side events addressed greenhouse gases observations over the ocean, where the follow up work will be undertaken to improve observations from the ship platforms, and greenhouse observations in the urban areas.
Empa, among the most active supporters of the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme, was the organizer. Empa participates in capacity building in many countries in the world and operates a World Calibration Centre for Surface Ozone, Carbon Monoxide, Methane and Carbon Dioxide that provides services to the community in the quality assurance of observations through site audits. Empa works in a close collaboration with MeteoSwiss and sets an example as an agency that converts advances in science and technology into public services and practical solutions to address climate change.
The joint WMO/International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) GGMT meeting was initiated by Dave Keeling in 1975 in recognition of the important role that greenhouse gases play in the climate system. GGMT is the cornerstone meeting for the observation of key greenhouse gases and tracers, their isotopes, assessment of new techniques, standardization, quality assurance, and data products. The 2017 edition attracted 168 participants from 26 countries.
