Investigating the barriers and pathways to implementing satellite data into air quality monitoring, regulation and policy design in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Satellite measurements relevant to air quality could help to inform policy and assist the monitoring and management of key air quality issues, both in the United Kingdom and internationally. This study investigates the barriers facing experts, across both scientific research and air quality management, in translating and incorporating satellite data into end user activities, and identifies pathways for the use of current and future satellite data by potential end users. Through an iterative Delphi-inspired two-round study, two groups of experts were issued parallel, near-identical surveys. These groups were Group A: current users of satellite data such as satellite product developers, researchers and air quality scientists, and Group B: potential end users of satellite data such as regulatory bodies, local authorities, government departments and independent air quality consultancies. This study confirmed that satellite data has had minimal penetration into Group B activities, and that a number of barriers currently prevent its adoption into regulation, namely: personnel-related issues such as lack of resources, technical skills and training, and technical limitations such as spatio-temporal resolution, uncertainties and data storage concerns. Despite this, there was a strong desire across both groups for collaboration and joint data exploration, but current progress has been minimal. Moving forward, we propose the creation of a network of experts, facilitated by a dedicated boundary organisation, designed to promote collaboration and knowledge exchange between these two groups, with the objective of transferring satellite data sets into end user work flows and to prepare end users to utilise future data sets.