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| 4 Jun 2026 | |
| Written by J.B. Wogan | |
| Press Releases and Statements |
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 4, 2026—The Data Foundation today announced the transition of the Climate Data Collaborative to the Center for Climate and Environmental Data (CCED, pronounced “seed”), a program center dedicated to making climate and environmental data more reliable, accessible, and useful. The CCED will serve as a nonpartisan knowledge-broker, fostering collaboration to deliver measurable value for decision-makers across finance, natural resource management, insurance, and government.
The CCED is the evolution of the Climate Data Collaborative, which launched in 2024 with the Data Foundation as its institutional home. In just 18 months, the Collaborative successfully built the coalitions, technical work, and partnerships it set out to build — including the Greenhouse Gas Coalition, the Methane Plume Technical Working Group, a published methane remote sensing intercomparison analysis, a neighborhood-level open data portal in partnership with Crosswalk Labs, and a conference on climate data access co-hosted with Stanford Law School. The new name reflects that maturation and core scope that includes nature data, environmental-economic accounting, and the broader architecture of U.S. climate and environmental data systems.
“The Center for Climate and Environmental Data applies the Data Foundation’s proven, nonpartisan approach to a critical data challenge,” said Nick Hart, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Data Foundation. “Reliable environmental data underpins major economic decisions. CCED is built to be a trusted, independent partner that helps accelerate smart investments in our national data infrastructure, ensuring all sectors have the information they need.”
The center works across four areas: coalition building; policy advocacy; thought leadership and research; and moving findings into practice by connecting scientific and policy communities. Sonia Wang has been named Senior Director of the CCED, taking on program leadership, project management, and Advisory Board coordination. Ryan Alexander, who served as Executive Director of the Climate Data Collaborative, will continue to provide expertise as a Senior Fellow. The center is supported by a bench of nine Senior Fellows with deep expertise spanning GHG measurement, remote sensing, environmental economics, data standards, and nature-based solutions.
More information about the Center for Climate and Environmental Data is available at datafoundation.org.
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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. As a nonpartisan think tank, we conduct research, collaborative thought leadership, and advocacy programs that advance practical policies for the creation and use of accessible, trustworthy data. Our activities proactively address emerging data-related needs in the country with the goal of devising realistic solutions, accelerating policy coordination, and advancing innovation. 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 Center for Climate and Environmental Data
The Center for Climate and Environmental Data (CCED) is a program of the Data Foundation dedicated to making climate and environmental data reliable, accessible, and useful. Applying a nonpartisan, knowledge-broker approach, the CCED builds coalitions and advances policy to strengthen U.S. data infrastructure for one of the most consequential data challenges facing our economy. CCED is the evolution of the work of the Climate Data Collaborative, which was founded by David J. Hayes, former White House Official and Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior; Jason Burnett, Founder of Crosswalk Labs; and Nick Hart, President and CEO of the Data Foundation. More information is available at datafoundation.org.
