GRIDs Network Services: UNEP Environmental Data Centres in support to Environmental Governance and Policies [UNEP Big Data Branch]

One of UNEP’s key roles is to keep the World Environment under review for enhancing the science-policy interface and endorsement of the Global Environment Outlook. In this context, a resolution asked UNEP to upscale its data strategy during the 4th United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi (11 - 15 March 2019). This is where the UNEP network of GRID Centres comes into play for transforming data into information and support UNEP with analytics since their creation in 1985. As of May 2021, four formal GRID centres exist (GRID-Geneva, GRID-Arendal, GRID-Warsaw and GRID Sioux-Falls), while several others are under discussion. These centres may have different institutional organization: GRID-Geneva is within the UNEP Science Division, other are foundations or NGOs. Despite their different structure or legal status, all of them are working together with several other partners, forming the spine of the “One Global Partnership”, supporting UNEP to transform big data into information and knowledge for sustainable development and humanitarian action at the global, regional and national levels.