The spatial distribution and temporal variability of the carbon dioxide sources and sinks is still uncertain and needs to be better quantified for the prediction of future climate. The measurement of column averaged volume mixing ratios from the ground is important for the validation of proposed space-borne CO2-measurements and to provide input data for inverse models. Ground-based FT-solar absorption spectra in the near infrared are obtained in Spitsbergen and during two cruises onboard the research vessel Polarstern on the Atlantic between 50N and 40S. Column averaged volume mixing ratios and a two layer profile are retrieved. The precisions of the column averaged volume mixing ratios are better than 0.5