Three Scottish projects have been awarded up to £55,000 in UK Space Agency funding for innovations and research into water management, carbon emissions, and climate change effects using satellite technology.

The projects are set to take advantage of Earth observation tools, satellite tracking, and data on population demographics, in a bid to benefit sectors ranging from agriculture and energy, to finance and insurance.

Earth observation tools gather and present information based on imagery of the Earth’s exterior, providing essential data on its physical, chemical, and biological systems, often through the use of remote sensing technologies like satellites.

Recently, the Geospatial Commission launched a pilot programme to invest in this vital technology to aid organisations in accessing this data to better support critical projects like the ones receiving funding.

Supported by the UK Space Agency, the three projects are part of ten UK projects set to receive funding this September, aiming to produce the most up to date view of environmental contexts possible with available Earth observation date, including methane and nitrous oxide emissions watercourse resilience, biodiversity changes, and the infrastructure of decarbonising technologies.

Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology George Freeman MP, said: “The great challenges of our time need bold solutions and from tackling water pollution to carbon emissions and biodiversity threats, the unique perspective that space provides can play a major role in securing the health of our planet and people.

“By backing UK innovators to make the most of modern technology including satellite data, AI, and Earth observation, we are also supporting businesses up and down our country to grow our economy while driving forward our ambition to make the UK a major player in space.”

The new round of funding is also in line with the £15m fund from the UK Space Agency directed at space-based instruments used for Earth Observation technologies used as a bedrock for the current projects.

One application by EOLAS Insight Ltd, a Glasgow-based company, will develop a mapping and reporting service focused on watercourse resilience, aiming to help organisations understand the effects of climate change and rising global temperatures on crucial local watercourses, as well as the benefits of mitigation strategies like riverside woodland schemes.

A project by Omanos Analytics, another Glasgow company, will generate social context data about the nuanced impact of climate change issues on different demographic groups, in a bid to support the development of more integrated, whole-of-community approaches to environment-related issues and planning.

Climate change is affecting different demographics disproportionately, across the globe as well as in the UK. While it is well known that the global south is already dealing with the more disastrous effects of climate change, including deadly floods, consistent drought, and intense wild fires, ethnic minority groups in the UK are also more likely to suffer. Minority ethnic groups – particularly Black and South Asian residents, were more likely to live in areas with worse air pollution in London, and were therefore more likely to suffer from asthma, according to a study by City Hall.

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Further to climate change initiatives, Edinburgh-based Sparkgeo UK will also receive funding to support their automated methane service. This allows stakeholders to measure and monitor emissions of methane – one of the most potent greenhouse gases – across their areas of interest and alert them when they are above acceptable levels. This can be used across industries, from livestock management to manufacturing.

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “The UK has a long history of expertise and innovation in Earth observation, developing satellites to collect increasingly detailed data and using that information to build services that help protect our planet.

“This targeted funding for early-stage innovations is all about supporting fresh ideas and accelerating the rollout of powerful new tools that have the potential to bring benefits to a wide range of users both within and beyond the space sector.”

The total £530,000 funding across the ten projects represents the second tranche of investment by the UK Space Agency directly into climate services development. It follows an £85,000 pot awarded earlier this year, which was split between nine UK organisations, including some of the same projects in their earlier stages of idea development, with used UK Space Agency funding to demonstrate the potential of their business ideas.