The Climate Data Steering Committee has announced its recommendations on the design of the Net-Zero Data Public Utility (NZDPU), a new open-data utility. The recommendations centre on how the NZDPU should address the data inconsistencies, gaps and inaccessibility issues which “slow climate action”. The recommendations were agreed at the United Nations General Assembly and will be subject to public consultation until 20 October. The Committee says that the majority of climate data is “only accessible through commercial subscriptions or by paying platform fees”, which prevents the public and many institutions from accessing it. Additionally, data is often presented in proprietary formats – making it harder to aggregate information or compare the performance of companies covered by different sources. Committee Co-Chair Michael R. Bloomberg, also UN Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions, said: “Companies and investors understand that climate change presents enormous financial opportunities and risks. The data utility will give investors and the public information they need to make informed decisions and hold companies accountable for backing up climate promises with real action.”
The proposed Net Zero Data Public Utility aims to take a vital step towards open climate data, enhancing the Global Climate Action Portal. We look forward to working on the Steering Committee to continue driving environmental ambition and action. https://t.co/1ge1Tn5uKM
— CDP (@CDP) September 21, 2022
