The Global Set of Climate Change Statistics and Indicators (hereafter the Global Set) was adopted at the 53rd session of the United Nations Statistical Commission in March 2022 as the framework for climate change statistics and indicators to be used by countries when preparing their own sets of climate change statistics and indicators according to their individual concerns, priorities and resources. See decision 53/116, Climate Change Statistics.
At the 10th meeting of the Expert Group on Environment Statistics it was highlighted that there is a need to enhance the role of multi-source data collection, data science, new technology, big data and spatial data (with time series) for climate change statistics. Various discussions have highlighted that traditional data collection instruments cannot fill all the data requirements needed to monitor climate change and its impacts on people. This is why novel data sources for official statistics play a big part in this regard. Such data sources include earth observation, citizen-generated data, mobile phones data, etc, collectively called big data sources.
A consultancy service is needed to initiate the development of capacity building materials for interested countries to enhance their data collection capabilities in novel statistical areas such as environment, climate change and disasters, with main focus on big data sources. The consultancy will carry out the following activities: (a) assess the practices in countries using specific big data and novel data sources needed for the implementation of the Global Set of Climate Change Statistics and Indicators;
(b) compile case-studies and propose packages or solutions based on the best source/instruments (such as earth observation or citizen-generated data) to be mapped to the topic/indicator in the Global Set;
(c) organize a global webinar to promote the prioritized big data solutions and assist UNSD in prioritizing further work including the preparation of advisory mission(s) and workshops in countries which need support on developing big data and novel data collection instruments.
This work will feed inputs into the development of a planned capacity development strategy for environment and climate change statistics. It is complementary to the DA14 workstream on climate change and disaster-related statistics.