View our latest newsJust over 20 years ago the Global Carbon Project (GCP) was created to bring together a global consortium of scientists to establish a common and mutually agreed understanding of the Earth carbon cycle.
Just over 20 years ago the Global Carbon Project (GCP) was created to bring together a global consortium of scientists to establish a common and mutually agreed understanding of the Earth carbon cycle.
Its aim was to use this knowledge to influence policy action to slow down and ultimately stop the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Dr Josep Canadell has been the GCP’s Executive Director since its inception in 2001 and remains a pivotal member of the consortium along with many other leading scientists from around the world. It is a Global Research Project of Future Earth and a research partner of the World Climate Research Programme.
To help realise its aim, the GCP has produced the Global Carbon Budget (GCB). The GCB tracks the trends in global carbon emissions and sinks and is a key measure of progress to towards the goals of the Paris Agreement. Professor Corinne Le Quéré, the founder of the budget led the writing of the first edition in 2006 and the annual update for 13 years. Professor Pierre Friedlingstein, the Director of the GCBO has led the GCB since 2019. The GCBO aims to work with the GCP community to influence policy further and drive change faster.
Year on year the GCB has evolved, building on established methodologies in a fully traceable and transparent manner. Its widely recognised as the most comprehensive report of its kind.
Every year the latest GCB update is launched and presented at the UNFCC’s latest and most important climate change negotiating session, Conference of Parties (COP).
All editions of the GCB are huge collaborative efforts involving around 100 people across many organisations and countries – a large fraction of the carbon cycle research community who on a voluntary basis help make the GCB so important and influential.
The Global Carbon Budget Office (GCBO) at the University of Exeter was established in May 2022 to drive the next phase of the Global Carbon Budget (GCB) in this critical decade for Climate Change action.
Professor Pierre Friedlingstein
GCBO Director and Lead author of the GCB
Professor Stephen Sitch
GCBO Deputy Director and author on the GCB
Dr Mike O’Sullivan
Postdoctoral Research Associate and author on the GCB
Dr Matt Jones (UEA)
Research Associate and author on the GCB
Dr Thomas Hawes
GCBO Research Software Engineer
Alissa Haward
GCBO Manager
