There is $31T AUM allocated globally for sustainable investing; however, there is hesitancy to unlock the funds related to investors’ uncertainty regarding climate and other risks. Not having the trust or history of working with climate and earth systems models, there is a cultural gap between the finance sector and earth science which EK works to bridge, translating earth and sustainability information into lay people’s language and tools.

EK’s indicators identify multitudes of factors at any location on the globe to isolate risk and provide pathways to more sustainable outcomes that protect investments for the financial sector and companies at large. The EK Indicator framework provides a clear analytical structure for evaluating risk in specific and actionable terms.

Dr. Frank D’Agnese, EK President & CTO, leads the EK Platform and Indicator development.
“Earth Knowledge’s Indicators are the fundamental taxonomies that are the building blocks for understanding the multitude of ESG, sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity frameworks that are emerging in sustainable finance today.”

Dr. Don Wuebbles, EK Lead Global Change Advisor, assisted the development of EK’s indicators. Dr. Wuebbles served as President Obama’s Assistant Director of Office of Science and Technology Policy, expert on Climate Science.

"Earth Knowledge can provide assessments of risks and vulnerabilities associated with its indicators for air, land, water and ecosystems that can help put the financial community on the pathway towards solutions. Earth Knowledge's comprehensive and solution-based approach is a key differentiator in achieving adaptation and resilience to the changing environment."

Dr. Wuebbles was a contributing author to the World Wildlife Fund’s recent white paper on “Spatial Finance: Challenges and Opportunities in a Changing World,” with Julia and Frank D’Agnese as contributing authors. This publication shared thought leadership and key recommendations from the visionary leadership of WWF and expert contributors, including the World Bank, Bloomberg, Satellite Applications Catapult, The Alan Turing Institute and Willis Watson Towers.

Julia Armstrong D’Agnese, Earth Knowledge CEO, focuses on translating the science and providing the financial sector EK’s comprehensive and actionable tools.

“Some only look at climate risk, which would be misleading. The reality of driving green finance is very complex. Earth Knowledge’s focus on earth and sustainability systems interactions, sub-surface to atmospheric, along with all levels of human-planet global changes is a far more thorough and realistic way to assess risk and highlight solutions to drive a truly more sustainable world.”

Earth Knowledge leadership participated in Sustainable Finance Live “Re-imagining Risk Modelling” workshop this week, facilitated by Richard Peers, founder of ResponsibleRisk, and Finextra, the global leader of financial technology. The workshop brought together leaders from the sustainability, risk management and financial sectors, including EBRD, S&P Global, Triodos Bank, Ernst & Young, WWF, ESG Treasury, Verisk Maplecroft and others to build bridges to drive green finance to new levels.

As EK technology requires substantial, scalable computing power, Earth Knowledge partnered with Microsoft Financial Services, as a worldwide leader in the financial community. Their initial offering is available now on the Azure Marketplace, with new capabilities rolling out through 2021. EK also respects Microsoft’s deep commitment to Sustainability, with aggressive internal goals and support of their customers’ pursuits.

Earth Knowledge has forged a strategic partnership with Esri, global leader in location intelligence, to provide unprecedented geospatial and sustainability capabilities. EK and Esri have maintained a decades long relationship and a shared mission to build a more sustainable world.