AI for Good

Learn how we use Big Data & AI to harmonize global sustainability reporting, align government policies with the SDGs, and provide critical development data to national statistical offices.

GlobalAI Co.

Supporting the UN to Harmonize Global Sustainability Reporting through Big Data and AI

We focus on the role of the private sector in achieving the sustainable development goals of ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. The Institute’s research aggregates firm-level, private sector data, and identifies where the private sector should mobilize its resources, know-how and capital to achieve the SDGs.

Our work advances the reporting requirements of SDG target 12.6, which requires Member States to encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle. Our dataset is the only proxy available for governments to produce the data called for under SDG target 12.6 to measure the private sector’s alignment with the SDGs at the country, regional and global level for policy purposes. Ours are the first AI-driven data to inform policy, strategy, and investment decision-making at the national level.

Data to deliver on the SDGs

Benchmarking progress on the SDGs requires harmonizing corporate reporting on sustainability targets across industries and countries. That’s why the Global Algorithmic Institute at GlobalAI is proud to focus on SDG indicator 12.6.1, which is the only SDG indicator uniquely focused on the private sector’s alignment with the SDGs at the country, regional and global level for policy purposes.

Mobilizing capital through better data and transparent reporting

The current lack of SDG data for policy-making, corporate strategy, and investing severely constrains the ability of public and private stakeholders to make SDG-driven decisions. This creates enormous obstacles to align policy-making with sustainable economic development and mobilize the institutional capital to where those investments are most needed at the scale required to close the annual $2.5 trillion SDGs financing gap.

Only with high-quality data can companies better align themselves with the SDGs, and motivate investors to mobilize capital from billions to trillions to deliver on the SDGs.

Addressing the Challenges of a Lack of Official Data

The biggest challenge with delivering on the SDGs is not a lack of capital, but rather a lack of data. Clear, accurate data is necessary to benchmark progress on the SDGs and inform policymaking, corporate strategy and investing. The lack of data creates enormous obstacles to align policy-making with sustainable economic development and mobilize institutional capital to where investments are most needed to progress on the SDGs.

Click on image to expand.

Data to Show Where Capital is Needed Most to Achieve the SDGs

Keeping track of statistics used to inform policy at the national level usually means developing official capacity. Producing this data requires countries to institute systems for compiling and reporting accurate, unbiased metrics on social and economic indicators. Even open societies may struggle to produce the data required to measure progress towards achieving the 231 unique indicators of the 17 SDGs. Because about one third of SDG indicators are outside the domain of traditional official statistics, no unified definitions or procedures exist, meaning country-level statistical reporting may vary in its methodologies.

Alternative Data to the Rescue

While we may lack official reporting mechanisms, our world today has a deluge of data. With all of the data available from corporations, NGOs, and other open data sources, it’s time to create processes for certifying unofficial data as official data.

GlobalAI believes corporate partnerships are particularly crucial in achieving this goal. Private sector collaboration can close gaps in official data, offset the critical funding gaps for tracking SDG metrics, and support the public good by enabling a society to benchmark the SDGs by making use of all available data of quality.

Click on an image to expand.

SDG progress - official data

SDG progress - alternative data

A platform to align the private sector with the SDGs at the country, regional and global level

Along with UNCTAD and UNEP, the Global Algorithmic Institute is supporting the creation of a global sustainability platform for corporate sustainability reporting. This will create and promote common global standards to use for reporting firm-level, nonfinancial ESG and SDG data. It will also build capacities for data collection and screening at the corporate and national level.

Collaborating with the UN to deliver on the SDGs through Big Data & AI

The Global Algorithmic Institute at GlobalAI is collaborating with the UN and its agencies to provide Big Data technology expertise and infrastructure focusing on firm-level, private-sector data for official purposes.

Building the World’s First Global Sustainability Platform

With the UNCTAD-ISAR and UNEP, we are supporting the creation of a global sustainability platform for corporate sustainability reporting which will facilitate harmonization and build capacities on data collection at national levels.

Making unofficial statistics official

We provided UNCTAD Statistics data they used to publish the first global proxy for SDG target 12.6. Click on an image to expand it.

The first global analysis of the private sector’s SDG ‘footprint’

We provided the UN DESA Financing for Sustainable Development Office the first global analysis of the SDG ‘footprint’ of the private sector at the regional and global level. The analysis, to be used for policy purposes, covers approximately 20,000 companies in more than 100 countries. Our data were included in a flagship report from the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Financing for Development in April 2020. Click on image to expand.

Member of the UN’s Expert Group on Sustainable Development Investing and Impact Measurement

We are a member of the Expert Advisory committee of the UN Inter-agency Task Force on Finance for Development’s Expert Group on Sustainable Development Investing and Impact Measurement.

SDG Nowcasting

We provided critical data and techniques on SDG nowcasting at the Committee of the Chief Statisticians’ of the United Nations System (CCS-UN) Technical Workshop. The event included leading statisticians from the OECD, WTO, IMF, UNDP, FAO, World Bank, European Union, and other international organizations.

Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the SDGs

Our data were included in the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020 which reviews progress of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development amid the COVID-19 crisis. The report uses the latest available data and estimates to track progress towards the SDGs before the pandemic started, but it also looks at some of the devastating initial impacts of COVID-19 on specific Goals and targets.