Our Top Open ESG Data Sources

The shift towards more open data models and collaborative efforts is not just a trend but a necessary evolution to meet the growing demands of regulatory bodies, investors, and the public for transparency and accountability in ESG performance. Historically, ESG providers have closely guarded their intellectual property. However, the rising demand for transparency and collaboration has led many to offer free data, showcasing the value of their methodologies.

Simultaneously, consortium movements, such as The Open Group's Open Footprint Forum and the International Building Performance and Data Initiative (IBPDI), aim to foster communication and alignment on how exactly to quantify and fill data gaps related to carbon footprinting and decarbonization. Here are some of our favorite open source datasets that you can leverage to inform ESG and sustainability-related projects:

Freemium Model

Upright Platform: 10,000 companies for free. Includes data on company ESG metrics — company impacts and targets, net impact quantifications, UN SDG alignment, EU Taxonomy alignment, and Principal Adverse Impacts from the EU SFDR. (Note: CSRD double materiality metrics available only to paid users.)

Impaakt: Registered users get to see 10 companies for free a month. Includes data on company alignment to the UN SDGs, Principal Adverse Impacts from the EU SFDR, EU Taxonomy alignment, and the Investor Leaders Group framework. Vetted and researched by a global network of stakeholder researchers.

ClimatIQ Explorer: Largest open-source database of vetted emission factors, including organized emissions factors from leading databases such as Ecoinvent, EXIOBASE, EPA, UK DEFRA, and IEA. Access API for a fee or go directly to linked databases, which are often free.

Veridion Data Discovery Platform: Largest database of the world's active companies, including private companies. Includes key information such as business activities and sectors, location, revenue, number of employees, and ESG commitments & news. Search millions of companies for free and pay to access their API to download. Disclaimer: PPWA works with Veridion.

Free & Open Access

ClimateTRACE: Global inventory of emissions from over 350 million individual sources. Granular data can be explored through various criteria such as location, sector, specific greenhouse gas types, and time period. Advanced filtering and visualizations with tools to download and share data.

CDP: Freely access and download climate-related datasets. Corporate environmental data for investors, an interactive tool for policymakers to access corporate and subnational action data, detailed datasets for trend mapping and emissions modeling, and annual environmental performance scores for companies and cities.

From the LinkedIn Community

We shared this content on LinkedIn and the broader community began to share other open access ESG data sources which we've gathered below. Thank you for your contributions! (Updated from July 31, 2024.)

WBCSD Pathfinder Framework (shared by Che Flowers): Free framework and data exchange for how to account for the emissions specifically related to products across a product's lifecycle and a company's value chain. Features exchange of primary data-based product carbon footprints (PCFs) and guidance on how to calculate cradle-to-gate PCF and exchange this along the value chain.

Open Sustainability Index (shared by Rodrigo Munoz): A global, free, and open-source database akin to Wikipedia where anyone can view, report, and edit data. Key functionalities include understanding business activities and sector, GHG emissions by scopes and GHG intensity, and decarbonization targets and commitments.

Global Energy Monitor (shared by Cedric Olivares-Jirsell, CFA): Provides open access maps and data on energy infrastructure, resources, and uses. Features multiple maps and datasets on fossil fuel plants, renewable energy installations, nuclear plants and energy-intensive manufacturing plants, plus tracking on private equity investment in energy and chain of ownership for various energy projects.

1in1000 Life Pacta 2.0 Project (also shared by Cedric Olivares-Jirsell, CFA): Provides a robust, open methodology for banks, insurance and other financial institutions to stress test business models and loan portfolios for climate impacts. Features methodology, Excel files and R code on Github for climate Transition, Physical and Legal risk models.