COP29 Global Innovation Hub – Data for 21st century governance: Delivering the innovations needed (economic, cultural, structural, technical, etc.) for a flourishing future

This COP29 session focused on one of the most  important, but also forgotten issues for climate action, data.

Dennis Pamlin and Jay Hennessy from RISE Research  Institutes of Sweden/NCI provided an introduction to the area of data for  21st century governance. They highlighted the fact that there is very little  human need-based data, and very much product and sector-based data.  We have data about garments, but very  little about wardrobes and close to nothing about how they support (or  undermine) sustainable lives. We have information about different sources of  protein, but very little about the nutrition and climate impact of the meals  people eat, and even less about how much is actually eaten and in what context,  so we can know if they support healthy lives. We know a lot about sources of  energy, but little about the system that delivers on human needs, and close  to nothing about how the energy system is linked to the temperatures, light,  etc that people need. The list goes on… To make the questions even more  challenging we have very little understanding of how we can provide different  kinds of data (e.g. individual quantitative data points, system data, and  wisdom) into governance systems.

Dennis Pamlin also highlighted the partnership with  James Hodson and AI for Good Foundation, where thought leaders like Eliot  Frazier have helped NCI with tool development and insights into the  opportunities and challenges with current LLMs.

Adam Bly from System presented a very promising  approach to gather data in connected systems that allow for deeper  understanding of root causes and potentially also tipping points.

Dr. Riyong Kim from European Environment Agency  provided insights to their work with multiple data sets and the challenges to  translate data into actionable knowledge for governments, companies and  others facing difficult choices.

Rym Ayadi, from the brain capital alliance, provided an  insight into brain science and cutting-edge knowledge that can guide a new  generation of climate action.

Mariell Juhlin, who is leading an initiative, SustainGov,  about governance in the 21st century described different work areas where  leading stakeholders are already exploring new governance opportunities. She  also highlighted both opportunities and challenges for this journey.

Ruth Reichstein from Ursula von der Leyen’s cabinet  could not make it to the session, but provided valuable input to the  preparation and how governance issues are discussed in European Commission.

A network for 21st century governance will work to  present a “data for the 21st century” and work with cities and other stakeholders that want to lead the next generation of innovative work towards  a sustainable future. The work will be presented at COP30 next year.