Climate Data to Decisions: A Value Chain Framework

Observations may lead the way, but often need a significant amount of additional analysis, synthesis, and context in order to inform real-world decisions. One reason that the World Economic Forum listed "failure of climate change adaptation" as one of its top global risks in 2015 that the climate services enterprise needs a stronger bridge between data and decisions. The foundation for this bridge is a clear understanding of the value chain: how each role along the process adds value to the process, transforming data to information and ultimately to actionable insights. A thorough understanding by each party of the business models of every other party helps to catalyze the growth of the entire enterprise. In this session, we explore the business models of government, pure and applied research, consultants, startups, and decision-makers and provide a comprehensive understanding of the entire value chain. A critical role is rapidly emerging for the private sector, who can create highly-customized products and services for corporate and civic decision-makers. We will highlight this burgeoning industry and note opportunities and challenges. Finally, we will provide examples of successful applications of the value chain framework to serve as a model for future growth.