The World Resources Institute (WRI) has announced an update to its online tool that helps businesses measure their greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
The Climate Analysis Indicators Tool, or CAIT 2.0, offers free online access to global GHG emissions and other climate data, enabling researchers, policymakers, media and others to download, visualize and share data for analysis and communications on climate change.
WRI says the update features improved functionality and other upgrades. A streamlined interface allows users to more easily select and sort data by country, sector, type of gas, among other criteria. CAIT 2.0 also is more readily usable on a range of mobile devices such as iPads and other large tablets.
The update includes a new data set on developed countries’ GHG emissions, as reported by these countries to the UNFCCC. The collection features emissions totals by gas and by economic sector for 42 Annex I countries, and is currently available for the period 1990-2011. This complements the tool’s existing Country GHG Emissions data collection, which compiles data from a variety of government and non-government sources.
The tool also has the ability to create map visualizations, which allows visitors to create easy-to-read and compelling graphical comparisons of country or U.S. state emissions data. Another update allows visitors to create and download their own data visualizations and infographics. These can also be embedded in online documents or shared on social media right from the CAIT 2.0 platform.
CAIT 2.0 now enables visitors to view data for groups of countries — such as developing vs. developed nations — and regions of the U.S. These groupings allow for a new dimension of comparative analysis, WRI says.
The updated tool also provides GHG emissions data for 186 countries and 50 U.S. states, which allows users to see a complete list of available data for a particular country, region, or U.S. state.
WRI says CAIT 2.0 is still a work in progress and plans to work on additional platform upgrades, expanding and updating its data collections, and publishing its own research, analysis, and insights.
Big Data is proving to be a big opportunity for sustainable business, with firms now able to collect, store and process enormous amounts of data. With some 2.5 quintillion bytes of data being created every day, analyzing, evaluating and understanding this level of information is providing insights that are fundamentally changing the way business is done.
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Founder & Principal Consultant, Hower Impact
Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering best-in-class strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.
Published Nov 5, 2013 12am EST / 9pm PST / 5am GMT / 6am CET