ITMS Kicks Off Phase 2: From Demonstrator to First Generation

From September 29 to October 1, 2026, the 4th General Assembly of the Integrated Greenhouse Gas Monitoring System for Germany (ITMS) took place at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena. About 70 participants from the consortium, the Scientific Advisory Board, and invited institutions discussed scientific progress and celebrated the official launch of Phase 2 on the final day.

In Phase 1 (since 2022), the ITMS demonstrator which includes all key elements of observation-based greenhouse gas monitoring was established at the German Weather Service (DWD). Phase 2 runs from August 1, 2026, to July 31, 2030, and aims to develop an “ITMS First Generation” that is ready for operational deployment. Plans include a reproducible processing chain for atmospheric inversion, including data streams on sources, sinks, observational data, and uncertainties, as well as user-oriented products for long-term operational use. A particular focus is on comparison with national emissions inventories.

In addition to the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry and the DWD, ITMS is coordinated by KIT in the “Sources and Sinks” research area and by the University of Bremen in the “Observation Data” research area. This will result in a sustainable, observation-based monitoring system that supports national greenhouse gas reporting and policy decisions.

 

 

 

The full press release is available here: https://www.bgc-jena.mpg.de/en/pm-itms-phase-2