An ecosystem of planetary data and AI that can

provide trusted insights about the state of the

environment at any scale

Transformation process
Data Decisions
An ecosystem of planetary data and AI that can
provide trusted insights about the state of the
environment at any scale
 National
Ecosystem for Planetary Data and AI ministries

Environment
Int. UN / Nat. res
Initiatives
Situation GRID /
GEO WMO UNDP
room MapX
Spatial
agencies
SCO
ESA
Google+ Global platform on planetary data
National
space
Data Level agencies
AI Level
Private Data set
Maps Academia
Planet Scenario Universities
Solutions to share / think tanks
Open source
Airbus
Users
Digital globe Local
States Citizen Private NGO
authorities
Citizen
science

SSC
 Part one: Earth observations and planetary data

1. 12 year horizon: The clock is ticking we have 12 years to make the transition to low carbon
economy and many of the SDGs. Big data and frontier technologies have a major role to play
in environmental analysis, monitoring, transparency and scaling solutions. This forum is a
major opportunity to forge a common vision and cease this moment of opportunity (UNEA).
2. Ecosystem of planetary data: ecosystem of planetary data and AI that can provide trusted
insights about the state of the environment at any scale. Technically possible, but
governance and business model are key. UN can take the idea forward in partnership with
the private sector. Must be efficient, impact must be measurable. Critical to establish trusted
platform in both directions: contributors and users.
3. Interoperability: Interoperability is important among systems for data sharing – but it is
essential to allow a diversity of analytical approaches. We can’t design a system in a top
down fully consultative way – need to begin building partnerships that respond to specific
needs and eventually federate or connect them. Perfect is the enemy of the good.
4. Data Provenance: Data attribution, licensing, digital object identifier (DOI), tokens, etc.
Attribution can be motivating. Need to explore mechanisms to track data use and payments.
5. Communities, institutions, users: Keep end user front and center and move towards a
system of co-design. Build the capacity of all citizens and governments to access and use
environmental data in decision-making. Capability building is essential to drive the need for
downstream services.
Part two: new frontiers in technology and
infrastructure
1. Digital economy model: How to build the system in a manner that follows the digital
economy model which minimizes costs of entry to maximize scale and uptake.
2. Interface is key for uptake: simplicity in the interface, complexity in the backend.
Simplicity should be a key principle in the design of user interfaces and will be
essential to scaling use by general public and private sector.
3. AI dominance: already powering nearly every commercial web application. AI will
overtake human capabilities – leading to a step change in civilization. How to deal
with bias in AI and prevent reinforcing the bias.
4. In situ data is limiting factor for earth observation and AI: In situ data is critical for
ground truthing satellite data, for delivering information at scales and resolutions that
complement Earth observations, and for training better AI. How to access public,
academic, citizen science data for training in a manner that is trusted and attributed.
5. Contextualisation: AI is all about massive correlation, which will cause major issues
with data privacy. Aggregated versus granual data boundary will erode.
6. Financial and governance structures incentivize behaviors: We need structures that
can drive incentives and accelerate innovations. Cross subsidy mechanisms, revenue
sharing.
Part two: new frontiers in technology and
infrastructure
1. Need to focus our action: 193 countries by 230 indicators is 44,390 starting point. If
we spend too much time building a one sized solution for all, we will fail. Need to
start moving forward based on leadership of individual projects. Where can we act
quickly to make a significant impact on a global issue? Avoid boiling the ocean and
designing a perfect process which takes years to move forward.
2. Need a business model to fund the public-private data infrastructure: need to fund
the infrastructure and allow open access. Agree on a set of key data layers that
become global public goods. We can be inspired by existing models as well as create
new ones inspired by open source platforms and non-profits.
3. Top down policy directives necessary but insufficient: Top-down policy directives are
a necessary component of our logical model, but top-down policy alone is insufficient
to deliver the change we need. We cannot comply our way to a healthy planet.
 Part three: Ethics, governance, security and
transparency
1. Concentration of power: information is power. Currently there is a major concentration of
economic power in only a few companies. It is important not to leave AI – and cloud
computing services - in the hands of a few. Architecture is political, therefore decentralising
architecture should be the focus, beyond a few companies or countries. If the rest of the
world can decentralize and share computing power, we could distribute power and access
more equally. Alternatives are essential for global democracy. Vision is not singular massive
clouds but connected cloudlets.
2. Governance: governance of the private-public commons data is core challenge and
ultimately is about balancing different value tensions: access, openness, privacy, security.
We also need to determine how to balance speed versus inclusivity. One of the governance
solutions could be anchored in the use of private contracts and licenses.
3. By design: Ethics, privacy and security in the use of AI by design. Not only a commons for
data but a common for the application of AI. Boundary between anonymized data and
private data is collapsing. GDPR could be used not to share data – could potentially kill open
data programs. AI is both a risk and a solution to data anonymization. Security in the system
is a pre-request for trust in the system. Protection of privacy is important to have trust in AI
4. Data commons: well structured set of databases so that data can flow, fund and sustain
investments and captures human values such as privacy. Articulate the rights of citizens, tax
payers, business, consumers. Private sector is essential to also ensure the system is secure.
Part three: Ethics, governance, security and
transparency
1. Language: In building a global ecosystem, public access is also about language.
2. Draw the line between open and free: enhance access to data through measures that
reflect market needs. Define the right boundaries between access and openness and the
right price. Timely, robust, verifiable and secure access to data
3. Citizen science: public participation in all aspects of data collection, analysis and update.
All environmental problems are local. Citizen science can provide data through ground
observations, creating knowledge and crowdsourcing. Can also have global research
through aggregation and create a parallel mechanism for accountability. Citizen science
data standard is important for a common language, assess fitness for use.
4. Hub and spoke model: if the public data commons is built on a hub and spoke model,
citizen science needs to be included in one of the spokes.
 Part four: Tracking private sector sustainability
leadership
1. SDG is a useful framework for articulating goals and monitoring progress. Strategic target
and focused action: how to frame the challenge as a business opportunity. Not a naming
and shaming exercise. Increasing business opportunity, adapting business models to
decarbonization, competitive differentiation, eco-efficiency, regulatory change, direct cost of
climate disruption. Future proofing.
2. Private sector: must not treat as a monolithic entity, but differentiate into data providers,
infrastructure and analytics services, data consumers, and financing. Value proposition to
different private sector actors will be sectoral. Must differentiate between strategic
commercial data that will not be shared and public good sectoral data. What falls into this
second bucket and how can it be liberated. Five tools: a) voluntary acts of charity when it
won’t harm a firms strategy b) require it through regulation c) pay for it; d) cross
subsidization; e) secure data trust. Need to determine right package of incentives.
3. Minimum set of global data environmental sets: determine if there should be a minimum
set of global data sets that would be of value to private sector actors.
4. Non-commercial use restrictions: can be a key barrier to the free flow of data and to private
sector actors minimizing their environmental impact. Need to re-think these restrictions and
also the question of derived data products.
5. Opt out policy: when data products infringe on privacy or sovereignty, must have an opt out
option. This applies at individual, local, national levels.
Part four: Tracking private sector sustainability
leadership
1. Transparency: Measurability and transparency are key drivers in the business model
transformation. First step forward in the decarbonization journey. 40% level of transparency
of dominant emissions by G250. Low. But intent is even more important to understand in
the business model.
2. Increasing levels of measurement: we can incentive firms to disclose and reduce, detect
leadership, and equip stakeholder community.
3. Distinguish between markets, sector and local applications: there is likely no global
solution that will meet the needs of all private sector actors. Must fundamentally distinguish
between markets, sector and local applications:
4. Acknowledge leadership when we see it: must be more proactive to use data to highlight
existing leadership.
5. Find the use case and showcase the value: start at the individual use case level, show the
value, build the business model.
Part five: Evolution of new business and
financing models
1. AI will power many business models going forward. Big bubble that could still burst and
needs to mature. On the road map of most companies to engage.
2. Three key AI applications: sensing, thinking and acting.
3. Open source AI: lots of opportunity to use, benchmark, recruit staff.
4. Company value chain: understand value and impact of AI down the full value chain
5. Service: it is now about a range of services including platform data, AI, infrastructure,
analytics. Platform paradigm is reshuffling downstream supply chain. Build fast and fail fast
model.
6. New business models needed: Business model for public goods or the combination of
public and private assets to generate private and public goods.
7. How to work as an ecosystem together: private sector, consultants, public data etc.
Combine people, processes and technology within decentralized data ecosystem
8. Trust: Trust, agility, accuracy is a reinforcing loop:
9. Analytics as a philosophy: explore data, define analytics, define KPIs, measure KPIs, adjust
behavior. Feedback data is essential.
10. Platform is only the tool not the value:
Part five: Evolution of new business and
financing models
1. Freemium model: public sector aspects are free to a point. Start free and move to pay at
some point. Generate public goods.
2. Tax advantage, reduced liability, time shifting reporting: taxability for the data often
remains with generator.
3. All value is in services: Assets would be free but everything is value added services built
on top:
4. Non-traditional payers / reduced rates: reduced fees for private sector goods, payed by
philanthropy and governance.
5. Pay for performance: joint investments and mechanism for recouping costs over time.
6. Crowdfunding: huge opportunity to generate global scale revenue needed for the
infrastructure
7. Defense and preservation of the planet: shift defense spending and create similar
incentives for defense of the planet.
Entry points

1. Collaboration points:
• SCO
• Citizen science cloud / Earth challenge 2020
• Horizon 2020
• G250
• MapX open source platform
• World Environmental Situation Room

2. Landing points
• Climate change:
• Renewable energy
• Circular economy:
• Food security:
• Finance:

3. :
Missing elements

1. GEO
2. Science : highly competitive (ex : life science correct business model – government
funded)

3. Finance short term vs long term : financing core science

4. Existing data value : without this data : nothing possible

5. More discussion needed to define this platform : potential, functions, services

6. Government involvement is crucial, together with business and citizen

7. Technology based on science

8. Education – high and primary education is more powerful for the global involvement

9. Public-private to bring demand – capacity building

10. Engagement of civil society is strongly missing in this forum

Entry points

1. Address behavior ? The way we consume …

The way we produce clean technology, scale up : need a knowledge map. Clean tech doable and
profitable

Select and identify a core audience and design to answer specific needs

Under representation of marine oriented effort on this platform: how EO+AI can help on this
issue ?

What is the fundamental purpose of this initiative ?

Identify core communities and feasible targets which we can build on

Co design and co construction

Open data policy and open science policy is a pre requisite for the participation of GEO
Entry points

Global inclusiveness is a must do : Africa is a major continent to consider for climate change
issues

Climate change – health issues are some of the most important for Africa
 SCO outputs
Source of Legitimacy
- National, regional and local
World datasets and scenario
• Political recognition environmental - Impacts of CC
• Integration with political processes situation room - Dialogue and communication
• Policy impact and influence
with politics and
communities
GEO Flagship prg
SCO
UNEA/GA SCO China

Solutions and services

Pacific
SCO
Regional SCO International Start up
France
environmental SCO
ministerial Morocco IA
fora
Private
Int. project Forum as a facilitator
(GEF, GCF, AF…)

Funding and cooperation

Gov funding Coop. Tech support Finance

Agreements
Road Map

1. UN Science-Policy-Business Forum to Agree on:

• Vision
• Business model
• Action areas to support – network of connected experiments

2. Contribute ideas to:

• High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation
• World Data Forum (October)
• United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management (November)

3. Engage at UNEA 4:
• Ministerial outcome document (minimum)
• Opt-in declaration
• Resolution (maximum)

4. Implement action areas during 2019-2020:

• Biodiversity
• Climate
• Pollution
• Water