Use of environmental data in the finance sector

Overview

The Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) is the driving force of investment in environmental science in the UK. NERC funds the UK Environmental Data Service (EDS), which is a trusted UK facility providing data stewardship services ensuring environmental data of long-term value are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. In their 10-year strategic forward look, NERC recognise that green technologies and services will continue to be central to the fundamental systems of our economy, including the financial sector. Big data and new analytical technologies will unlock new insights into the environment. The EDS is currently going through a recommissioning process and part of the work focuses on how different sectors engage and use environmental data in its current forms, where the gaps and needs are and how we might enable environmental data and insight to be used across sectors more widely and in new ways.

This survey asks questions that will guide our work in parts of the recommissioning exercise, as well as think about how environmental science outputs can contribute to the finance sector. The survey has been developed collaboratively with colleagues across NERC, but the British Antarctic Survey who also host the Polar Data Centre (part of EDS) are running the survey and processing and analysing the data.

The survey is completely anonymous and all questions are optional. However, we have prepared a set of 6 primary questions which we ask participants to prioritise when responding to the survey. There is a set of secondary questions where your response would also be much valued, should you have time.

If you'd like to get direct updates from the NERC funding team on opportunities in this space, please email FinancialProfessionalBusinessServices@esrc.ukri.org, 'FAO Green finance'.

Why your views matter

Taking part in this survey means you will be contributing to shaping future environmental data services.