Climate TRACE Unveils Real-Time Emissions Tool, Maps Cheaper COP31 Cuts
COP 31 Global Climate Action • United NationsNovember 13, 2026
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Climate TRACE says the hard part of climate policy has moved from measuring pollution to cutting it faster and cheaper. At a Nov. 13, 2026, COP31 presentation, the coalition launched real-time facility-level emissions data and a tool that ranks 200 common solutions by cost and impact. It also argued that smarter choices could double the payoff of COP31's electrification goal.
- Real-time, facility-level emissions and PM2.5 data now cover roughly 900 million sources
- New tool ranks 200 solutions by cost and impact, with free technical support
- Electrification goal could cut 14% of emissions, not 7%, with prioritized pathways
- Heat pumps, clean electricity and landfill covers cited as cost-effective near-term wins
- Capital access for developing countries flagged as an unresolved barrier
From Measuring Pollution to Pricing Solutions
The basics: Climate TRACE is a coalition of 170 organizations. It uses about 300 satellites and 50,000 sensors to track roughly 900 million emission sources worldwide. Presenters included Gavin McCormick, co-founder of Climate TRACE, and a second Climate TRACE co-founder.
Why it matters: The presenters said decision makers no longer ask how to measure emissions. They ask how to cut them faster and cheaper. The new platform tries to answer that question one facility at a time.
Where things stand: The coalition announced four additions:
- Real-time emissions estimates at the individual facility level
- Tracking of pollutants flagged by the World Health Organization, including PM2.5
- An AI assistant that works in 25 languages
- Cost and impact estimates for 200 common emissions solutions
Presenters reported more than 1 million users of the data. They offered free technical support to governments and companies that want to use it.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The session was informational. No votes were taken and no decisions were made. The practical stakes are clearest for agencies that lack their own monitoring. Facility-level data and a cost-ranked menu of fixes could let a city, region or national ministry see which plants, landfills or buildings drive local emissions and air pollution. Adding PM2.5, the fine particulate matter linked to respiratory harm, ties climate data to public health, which neighborhoods near industrial sites feel directly. Companies face a different reality: facility-level transparency makes individual sites, not just national totals, visible to regulators and the public.
COP31 Goals Could Deliver Double the Cuts
The basics: Climate TRACE analyzed the three goals tied to COP31:
- Electrify 35% of energy by 2035
- Cut waste growth by 50% by 2035
- Cut building energy intensity by 25%
Why it matters: The presenters argued that how countries pursue these targets matters as much as whether they hit them. In their analysis, the pathway choice determines whether a goal delivers modest gains or roughly double the emissions cuts at lower cost.
Where things stand: Climate TRACE estimated that the electrification goal could cut 14% of emissions if countries prioritize the highest-impact pathways, compared with 7% otherwise. The presenters identified heat pumps, clean electricity and landfill covers as cost-effective options. Building electrification and landfill covers were framed as cheap wins.
The other side: The presenters did not argue the transition is easy everywhere. They described an unequal global allocation of capital, in which developing countries, including those in Africa, struggle to get financing for the same solutions that pencil out elsewhere. The cheapest fix on paper can still be out of reach without access to capital.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Again, no action was taken. Utilities and building owners stand to gain from the focus on heat pumps and clean power. Waste agencies are the obvious audience for the landfill findings. Developing-country governments get the sharpest message: the data exists, but the money often does not.
The second co-founder closed the session by urging attendees to use the tool to meet the COP31 goals, adding that "political will is itself a renewable resource," said a Climate TRACE co-founder.
Looking Ahead
Climate TRACE is offering its data and technical support for free. Sustainability staff, air quality regulators and advocates who track local facilities may want to ask two questions. What do the new real-time and PM2.5 figures show for sites in their community? Which of the 200 ranked solutions fit their own budgets and timelines?