Open climate data for public good

🌍 A new era of open data has arrived 🌍 On 1 October 2025, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts - ECMWF made its entire Real-time Catalogue open to all, under a CC-BY-4.0 licence. This is one of the largest meteorological datasets in the world, now freely accessible for science, innovation and entrepreneurship. This moment feels very much like when Landsat data was opened years ago — a decision that unlocked billions in economic value, empowering entrepreneurs, local governments, and innovators to build solutions that no one had imagined at the time. Now, with open meteorological data: 🔹 Local businesses can create new weather-driven services — from agriculture optimisation and insurance models to logistics and retail planning. 🔹 Entrepreneurs and startups gain access to world-class data to train AI/ML models, develop predictive tools, and build new digital products without prohibitive licensing barriers. 🔹 Local governments can improve urban planning, resilience strategies, and climate adaptation measures by tapping into global-scale forecasts at local resolution. 🔹 Communities worldwide benefit from better preparedness, aligning with the UN’s Early Warnings for All initiative — protecting lives and livelihoods. Innovation often begins when barriers to data fall away. With ECMWF opening the gates, we can expect new industries, smarter decisions, and stronger climate resilience to emerge — just as we saw with the Landsat revolution. 💡 The question is: who will be the first to harness this opportunity and turn open forecasts into open futures? https://lnkd.in/e5SEt-dP #OpenData #ClimateResilience #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #WeatherData #ECMWF #AI #Geospatial

Want to work with real satellite data-for free? Here's how. Remote sensing is more accessible than ever. Whether you're a student just starting out, a researcher tackling climate questions, or part of an NGO addressing environmental challenges, free satellite data is a goldmine of information waiting to be explored. But many people ask: Where do I get this data? How do I actually use it? That’s why I created this visual guide-to walk you through both: How to access satellite data from trusted platforms like: • USGS EarthExplorer (for Landsat) - https://lnkd.in/efDVuVa2 • Copernicus Open Access Hub (for Sentinel data) - https://lnkd.in/eBhwDG2D • NASA's LAADS DAAC, Earthdata Search, and more - https://lnkd.in/e9ZqjjJi How to use the data once you have it: • Preprocessing in SNAP or QGIS or ENVI • Time series and analysis with Google Earth Engine • Visualization and decision-making using geospatial tools Whether you're monitoring vegetation change, mapping urban growth, or analyzing water quality, these open datasets empower you to explore the Earth at scale-with nothing more than an internet connection and the right tools. Let’s democratize geospatial science, one open dataset at a time. Have a favorite open platform or tool for working with satellite data? Drop it in the comments. #RemoteSensing #EarthObservation #GIS #OpenData #SatelliteImagery #Copernicus #Landsat #ClimateTech #EnvironmentalMonitoring #Geospatial #GoogleEarthEngine #QGIS #StudentsInSTEM #DataForGood

🚀 25 years in the making—#OpenCEDA is live! When I released the very first version of the Comprehensive Environmental Data Archive (CEDA) back in 2000 as a PhD student at Leiden, I imagined a world where rigorous, transparent Scope 3 data would be available to anyone tackling climate change. Today that vision becomes reality. CEDA is now free and open to the public at openceda.org—unlocking >95 % of global GDP/GHG coverage, 400 industry sectors across 148 countries and regions, and tens of thousands of up-to-date emissions factors, refreshed annually. This milestone is the work of an incredible community. Deep gratitude to Mo Li, Ph.D., Cheng Lin, Yohanna Maldonado, Michael Steffen, Jake Feintzeig, Jonathan Gidden, Gizem Ilayda Dinç Liston Witherill, Christian Anderson—and every researcher, practitioner, and customer who has shaped CEDA since its 2000 debut. Whether you’re a start-up calculating your footprint, a Fortune 500 driving supply-chain decarbonization, or a researcher pushing LCA boundaries—this data is yours. Dive in, build, question, and tag me with what you create. Let’s accelerate climate action together! #Scope3 #LCA #GHGAccounting #OpenData #Sustainability #ClimateTech

Very happy to share that we've now open-sourced our high-resolution (30m) nationwide dataset on Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) and terrestrial carbon storage in Pakistan, covering the period from 1990 to 2020. This dataset accompanies our recent study published in the Environmental Impact Assessment Review journal, providing critical evidence on how urban expansion affects carbon sequestration in Pakistan. ✦ Key Insights from Our Study: ⚬ Exponential Urban Growth: Urban areas in Pakistan have expanded by approximately 1040%, resulting in substantial changes to the country’s landscape. ⚬ Reduction in Carbon Storage: This urbanization has led to a 5% decline in terrestrial carbon storage, posing challenges for climate change mitigation. ⚬ Regional Dynamics: ▸ Emerging Cities on the Rise: Cities like Rawalpindi and Peshawar experienced rapid urban sprawl, primarily converting rangelands (~47%) and agricultural areas (~35%) into urban landscapes. ▸ Afforestation Efforts: While northern afforestation projects have increased forest carbon stocks, there is a marked north-south disparity in carbon storage loss. ▸Land Use Changes: The shift from natural ecosystems to built-up areas highlights the urgent need for sustainable urban planning. ✦ Implications for Pakistan: ▸Climate Change Mitigation: This dataset is essential for understanding carbon storage dynamics, a critical component of strategies to achieve net-zero emissions. ▸Policy Development: It offers valuable insights to support sustainable land-use practices and evidence-based policy-making. ▸Research and Collaboration: Open access enables collaborative efforts among researchers, urban planners, and environmental managers, fostering data-driven environmental management solutions. By openly sharing this dataset, we aim to empower stakeholders to make informed decisions that balance urban development with environmental conservation. Open data promotes transparency, collaboration, and innovation, vital in addressing the complex challenges of climate change and rapid urbanization. 🔗Project Link: https://lnkd.in/eMDQMaHm #pakistan #lulc #landuse #landcover #urban #urbansprawl #urbanization #carbon #carbonstorage #googleearthengine #opensource #remotesensing #geospatial #gis

As we head into New York Climate Week alongside UNGA80, the energy access challenge remains urgent: 2.1 billion people still lack clean cooking and 666 million live without electricity.   Closing these gaps isn’t just about finance and infrastructure - it’s also about having the right data to make smarter decisions.   That is why, in partnership with IBM and Stony Brook University, UNDP has co-developed two open, AI-driven tools now available on GeoHub: https://lnkd.in/epWZQYhA   ⚡ Electricity Access Forecasting Model - projecting access to 2030 across 100+ countries to help identify underserved areas. ⚡ Clean Energy Equity Index - assessing equity across 53 African countries to guide just, inclusive energy transitions.   Already informing UNDP projects expected to benefit 600,000+ people, these tools demonstrate how AI and open data can transform energy planning - moving us from static surveys to predictive, real-time insights.   Ultimately, closing energy access gaps isn’t just about building infrastructure or mobilizing finance. It’s about ensuring that every clean energy investment is guided by the right data - making progress toward SDG7 more targeted, equitable and achievable.   #EnergyForDevelopment #UNGA80 #AIforGood #CleanEnergy #ClimateWeekNYC

Open Air Quality Data: A Game-Changer for Global Health Equity 🌍 Air pollution kills millions annually, with low- and middle-income countries facing 1.3-4x higher exposure than wealthy nations. But new research shows open data platforms are democratizing access to life-saving air quality information. 📊 Key opportunities: - Low-cost sensors 📡 are expanding monitoring to underserved communities—but require proper calibration against reference-grade monitors to ensure data accuracy and reliability - Open platforms provide ready-to-use visualization and analysis tools without needing technical expertise or data downloads - Real-time information ⚡ empowers communities to take protective action during pollution episodes and supports evidence-based interventions Practical steps for cities and governments: → Use web-based platforms like Worldview, Giovanni, and CAMS for instant air quality visualization 🔍 → Partner with existing global networks like Breathe Cities, AERONET, or PANDONIA rather than building from scratch 🤝 → Explore platforms like OpenAQ Inc and TOAR that harmonize data from multiple sources into accessible formats → Leverage sensor networks like sensor.community and opensensemap.org for community-driven monitoring 🌐 Critical challenges: Ensuring data quality through rigorous sensor calibration protocols and building local capacity to interpret and act on air quality information effectively. ⚠️ The research emphasizes that third-party aggregators and easy-to-use platforms are essential—governments don't need to become data scientists to benefit from the air quality data revolution! 💡 #PublicHealth #HealthEquity #AirQuality #OpenData #EnvironmentalJustice

>380,000 data points on climate policy data. This is the culmination of >2 years work with a great team on the OECD - OCDE Climate Actions and Policies Measurement Framework (CAPMF). Still cannot believe that the CAPMF data is finally publicly available.   All >380,000 data points are publicly available. Ready to be explored by you and your colleagues to analyse 👉 climate policy trends 👉 which policies worked and which did not 👉 differences in climate policy approaches across countries and across time 👉 any climate policy-related question that you may have      Link to the database: https://oe.cd/dx/capmf Please like, comment, share, and - above all - USE!   #climatepolicy, #mitigation, #climatedata, #climatechange, #sustainability

𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 – Deep Dive Last week, I shared a post on open data tools for climate risk assessment and their role in climate adaptation. Since it sparked some interest, here’s a follow-up: a closer look at some of the best tools out there. 🦍 UN Biodiversity Lab 🦍 Hosts an amazing 269 datasets on biodiversity, from habitat intactness and ecosystem resilience to socio-economic indicators. – Great extra: national biodiversity statistics for 193 countries. – One highlight (which is integrated into many tools): The „GLC_FCS30“ land-cover map with an incredible 30x30m resolution. ⛈️ WESR Climate ⛈️ I like the tool by the UN Environment Programme because it offers a great framework for analyzing climate change variables: “Drivers” and “Pressures” (what drives climate change), “States” (how it alters Earth's systems), “Impacts” (resulting societal risks) and even “Responses” (what do we do to mitigate them). 🏭 Global Infrastructure Risk Model and Resilience Index (GIRI) 🏭 A collection by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure of an incredible 113 up-to-date and granular datasets on climate risks to buildings and infrastructures. – Great extra: Country-level statistics on average annual losses by climate hazards and infrastructure category. 🏚️ GIS-ImmoRisk 🏚️ Not flashy, but the only tool I know that lets you export building-specific climate risk PDF reports. It even factors in asset details (size, roof shape, windows, …) to assess likely damages by climate hazards. (Covers only Germany.) ❗ Where can you find these and other open climate and nature risk tools? – Click "resources" on the UN Environment Programme's World Environment Situation Room’s website. – Have a look at the MapX tool examples by UNEP/GRID-Geneva. – See the partially free KanataQ tool list. (Thank you, Nawar!) – Check out the tools and resources list of the NOAA. (Thank you, Douglas!) ❗ I’d appreciate hearing your opinion on the tools in this post, which tools you'd recommend, and where to find more. Link to last week's post: https://lnkd.in/dv_GKW83

As climate change accelerates, policymakers and researchers need immediate access to accurate, science-based data to inform critical decisions about natural climate solutions and forest conservation efforts. That's why the nonprofit CTrees developed the first global system to monitor, report, and verify (MRV) carbon stocks and land-use activities for every ecosystem on land, delivering critical data needs of policy and markets. In this blog, Aleena Ashary and Jules Marenghi explain how CTrees has used the cash funding and cloud credits from its 2024 Amazon Web Services (AWS) Imagine Grant to enhance the organization’s flagship Jurisdictional MRV (JMRV) tool. This free, open data platform provides precise annual measurements of carbon stocks, forest area, emissions, and land use activities—revolutionizing how governments and organizations track climate policy progress and develop jurisdictional carbon credit programs. https://lnkd.in/grmttxXD

How can data help us tackle environmental challenges like climate change and deforestation? The Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative (ASDI) is making waves by connecting researchers, businesses, and governments with powerful environmental data resources, so they can take meaningful action on critical issues. Imagine trying to assess the impact of deforestation across a supply chain: The data needed is vast and complex. ASDI steps in to simplify that, offering global datasets for studying climate, natural resources, and biodiversity—all on a shared platform. Take Apple, for example. With ASDI data, they were able to pinpoint specific areas where deforestation was affecting their supply chain and then invest in reforestation. It’s not just corporations benefitting either; in California, government agencies used ASDI’s satellite imagery to identify parts of the coastline most at risk of erosion from rising sea levels, allowing for focused conservation efforts. These stories show that ASDI is more than just a data platform; it’s a tool for turning complex environmental data into clear insights. Having easy access to such data can make all the difference. Researchers, environmental groups, and businesses alike can now collaborate more easily, using shared knowledge to address sustainability challenges more effectively. For those interested in exploring ASDI’s offerings, the AWS Registry of Open Data provides tutorials and hands-on resources that make this data accessible to anyone. Tackling environmental issues takes a collective effort, and initiatives like ASDI are opening doors for more people to get involved in finding solutions that benefit us all. #Biodiversity #DataAnalysis #Sustainability #ClimateChange #EnvironmentalSustainability