The Role of Data Science in Climate Action
Angel Hsu
15 years: Associate Professor, Founder & Director
In this video, Angel explains how data science and digital innovation are transforming climate accountability. From AI-powered tools to satellite monitoring, technology is improving transparency and emissions tracking. But challenges like greenwashing and regulatory gaps remain.
In this video, Angel explains how data science and digital innovation are transforming climate accountability. From AI-powered tools to satellite monitoring, technology is improving transparency and emissions tracking. But challenges like greenwashing and regulatory gaps remain.
The Role of Data Science in Climate Action
12 mins 36 secs
Key learning objectives:
Understand the role of data science in climate action
Understand the importance of accurate data and accountability
Understand how advancements in technology can promote climate accountability
Overview:
Climate accountability is advancing through data science and digital innovation. Historically, fragmented data hindered climate policy, but tools like AI, emissions trackers, and satellite monitoring are transforming decision-making. Despite progress, challenges remain, including greenwashing, inconsistent standards, resource constraints, and regulatory misalignment. Transparent, standardised climate reporting is essential to drive real action. With strong governance and collaboration, technology can align climate commitments with measurable impact, reducing emissions and accelerating the transition to a sustainable future.
Summary
Why has climate action historically lacked reliable data?
For years, climate data was underutilised because environmental systems are complex and difficult to measure consistently. Unlike financial or business data, emissions tracking lacked standardised methodologies, leading to fragmented reporting and unreliable insights. Governments and corporations often relied on voluntary self-reporting, making accountability weak. However, the growing realisation that “you can’t manage what you don’t measure” has shifted focus toward better data collection, analysis, and integration into climate policy and corporate sustainability efforts.
How is digital innovation improving climate accountability?
New technologies like smart meters, AI-powered emissions analysis, and Earth observation satellites are revolutionising climate data collection. AI-driven tools such as ChatNetZero simplify climate commitment analysis, boosting transparency and corporate accountability. Remote sensing allows real-time tracking of emissions and carbon sinks, eliminating reliance on self-reported figures. These innovations provide precise, automated data, helping businesses, investors, and policymakers make informed decisions. They also expand emissions tracking to resource-limited regions, making climate accountability more equitable and globally inclusive.
What challenges hinder the effectiveness of climate data?
Several obstacles prevent climate data from driving real change. Greenwashing remains an issue due to a lack of standardised reporting requirements, allowing companies to exaggerate sustainability claims. Data exchange is inconsistent, as different organisations use varied accounting tools and formats. Smaller entities, especially in developing countries, face resource constraints that limit emissions tracking capabilities. Additionally, regulatory misalignment across jurisdictions means climate targets and data requirements differ, making it difficult to coordinate large-scale, effective climate action.
What role do regulation and governance play in improving climate data accuracy?
Strong regulation is essential for ensuring climate data drives real action. Without mandatory, standardised reporting, organisations can manipulate climate targets without making real progress. Regulators must enforce transparency, data accessibility, and alignment across industries and governments. The UN’s push for mandatory fossil fuel phase-out plans alongside net zero targets highlights the need for more stringent accountability. Well-designed governance frameworks will determine whether digital innovations in climate tracking translate into measurable emissions reductions and impactful policy changes.
Angel Hsu
Dr. Angel Hsu, a PhD in Environmental Policy from Yale University, is the Founder and Principal Investigator of the Data-Driven EnviroLab, a research group at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She focuses on developing data-driven global environmental policies and has previously led initiatives for corporate greenhouse gas accounting and reporting in developing countries. Angel has also contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's sixth Assessment Report. She holds a BS in Biology and a BA in Political Science from Wake Forest University. Her work focuses on innovation in environmental and climate solutions.
There are no available Videos from "Angel Hsu"