The lab would start work on the streets of Wellington over the next few months. Photo: Supplied/GNS Science
Climate scientists are hailing a new lab in a van as a big step forward in finding out how much carbon dioxide New Zealand cities release and how much is absorbed by green spaces.
A CarbonWatch-Urban research programme, led by GNS Science, is mapping CO2 sources and sinks in every town and city.
The van will access varying climates, geographies and population sizes, and will visit multiple times to account for changes in season.
Spokesperson Jocelyn Turnbull said up until now, only a handful of cities around the world - including Auckland - had the technology to measure emissions, and the mobile lab with its state of the art instruments is a world first.
"Getting accurate information into the hands of decision-makers is essential for emissions reduction," Turnbull said.
She said the work was critical in deciding how best to reduce emissions.
Jocelyn Turnbull (L) and Leigh Fleming. Photo: Supplied/GNS Science
Turnbull said the van design required a bit of "Kiwi ingenuity".
"Squeezing all of this high-tech equipment inside the van, and providing a rechargeable electric power supply, has required a fair bit of Kiwi ingenuity from our team and GNS's engineering workshop."
The lab would start work on the streets of Wellington over the next few months.
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