Anthropogenic CO₂ and NO₂ emissions from combustion processes have usually the same sources but with different emission ratios. By applying the known emission ratios of CO₂ and NO₂ from established emission databases to the satellite-derived NO₂ emissions we derive CO₂ emissions based on satellite observations of NO₂. We have used the inverse algorithm DECSO to the high resolution NO₂ observations of TROPOMI. We have analyzed DECSO-TROPOMI NO₂ emissions for the Iberian Peninsula and an area over South America. We have derived CO₂ emissions based on multiplying the DECSO-TROPOMI NO₂ emissions with CO₂ over NO₂ emission ratios derived from a TNO emissions database.

We find that the spatial distribution of DECSO-TROPOMI based CO₂ emissions of the Iberian Peninsula and the South America region overall appears realistic, especially if they are corrected for NO₂ soil emissions.

Some uncertainties are added by the fact that spatial patterns of emissions ratios revealing strong inter-country differences. It was also shown that the ratios can vary a lot over time, and therefore the year of the ratios and NO₂ emissions should be the same.