A recent press release reports, “UN Environment and Google announced today a global partnership that promises to change the way we see our planet. Combining environmental science, big data and unprecedented accessibility, this joint effort aims to expand what the world knows about the impacts of human activity on global ecosystems. When completed, the platform will leverage Google’s cloud computing and earth observation public catalogs and for the first time enable governments, NGO’s and the public to track specific environment-related development targets with a user-friendly Google front-end. ‘We will only be able to solve the biggest environmental challenges of our time if we get the data right,’ Head of UN Environment Erik Solheim said. ‘UN Environment is excited to be partnering with Google, to make sure we have the most sophisticated online tools to track progress, identify priority areas for our action, and bring us one step closer to a sustainable world’.”

The release goes on, “Too often, when a country seeks to implement real-time environmental action, they find their efforts halted by gaps in critical data needed to direct those actions safely and effectively. Through this partnership, and Google Earth Engine’s analysis and visualization tools, the world can finally begin to fill those gaps, enabling decision makers to better invest in environmental services. ‘This partnership announcement builds on a common shared vision between our organizations,’ said Rebecca Moore, Director, Google Earth, Earth Engine & Earth Outreach. ‘We are excited to enable all countries with equal access to the latest technology and information in support of global climate action and sustainable development’.”

Read more at UN Environment.

Photo credit: UN Environment