Research needs for finely resolved fossil carbon emissions

Scientific research on the global carbon cycle has emerged as a high priority in biogeochemistry, climate studies, and global change policy. The emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from fossil fuel combustion is a dominant driver of the current net carbon fluxes between the land, the oceans, and the atmosphere, and it is a key contributor to the rise in modern radiative forcing. Contrary to a commonly held perception, our quantitative knowledge about these emissions is insufficient to satisfy current scientific and policy needs. A more highly spatially and temporally resolved quantification of the social and economic drivers of fossil fuel combustion, and the resulting CO₂ emissions, is essential to supporting scientific and policy progress. In this article, a new community of emissions researchers called the CO₂ Fossil Fuel Emission Effort (CO₂FFEE) outlines a research agenda to meet the need for improved fossil fuel CO₂ emissions information and solicits comment from the scientific community and research agencies.