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| 23 Apr 2026 | |
| Press Releases and Statements |
April 23, 2026, WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Data Foundation’s Climate Data Collaborative is proud to announce a new initiative to advance a European-aligned digital and data strategy for the Western Balkans. This effort, which is formally launching this week with two high-level sessions at the Adria Future Summit 2026 in Porto Montenegro, seeks to bridge the "missing link" between digital transformation and green objectives in Southeast Europe.
Despite formal commitments to the European Union (EU) Green Agenda, the Western Balkans face significant hurdles to decarbonization because of weak digital infrastructure and a lack of high-quality, machine-readable data needed to de-risk green investments. The Climate Data Collaborative is working to build the technical connective tissue needed for a flexible data ecosystem where decision-makers can access the data they need to implement climate-resilience strategies.
"Globally, communities and leaders who seek to assess risks, make investments in green energy, and implement climate mitigation and resilience strategies face a labyrinthine data system unable to meet the moment. We’re working to reduce the barriers to building and adopting the data infrastructure to accelerate a green transition that empowers small businesses in the Western Balkans," said Ryan Alexander, Executive Director of the Data Foundation’s Climate Data Collaborative.
The Data Foundation, with backing from the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, will facilitate two key sessions at the Adria Future Summit aimed at driving progress:
The Twin Transition Imperative: A public panel featuring government ministers, industry leaders, and finance experts to address the "missing link" in the Western Balkans' green transition.
Democratizing Data Access: A closed-door roundtable for civil society leaders to discuss increasing transparency and positioning civil society as active "data-driven partners."
By integrating digital and green approaches, Western Balkan stakeholders can realize several critical benefits:
The initiative is led by a team of global experts, including Ryan Alexander (Executive Director, Climate Data Collaborative), Catherine Atkin (Senior Fellow and architect of California’s Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act), Liv Watson (Senior Fellow and Co-Founder of XBRL standards), and Biljana Braithwaite (Chief Executive Officer of Sustineri Partners and Founder of the Adria Future Summit).
Following the Summit, the Data Foundation will release a "Principles and Opportunities Readout" to serve as an engagement document to lay the foundation for future regional collaboration on the green transition in Southeast Europe.
About the Data Foundation
The Data Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that champions the use of open data and evidence-informed public policy to make society better for everyone. In the fall of 2024, it launched the Climate Data Collaborative, which works to build a data ecosystem where decision-makers have the data needed to drive markets, mitigation, conservation, finance and compliance—one where public agencies provide foundational data and private actors are motivated to contribute. The Data Foundation is recognized by Candid Guidestar with the Platinum Seal of Transparency and received 4-Stars from Charity Navigator. To learn more, visit www.datafoundation.org. (LEI: 254900I43CTC59RFW495)
About the Adria Future Summit
The Adria Future Summit is a premier regional platform bringing together over 1000 participants from 30+ countries to discuss investment, innovation, and sustainable development in Southeast Europe.
Media Contact:
J.B. Wogan, Director of Communications
Phone: (202) 964-1130
Email: media@datafoundation.org
