D4CA ReleaseFinal 3082017 WITHCHANGES - United …unglobalpulse.org/sites/default/files/Data for...

NEWSRELEASE

UNGLOBALPULSEANDWESTERNDIGITALANNOUNCE‘DATAFORCLIMATEACTION’CHALLENGENOWOPENFORENTRIES

ChallengeEnablesUnprecedentedAccesstoDataandToolsfromLeadingCompanies

toGenerateNewClimateSolutions NEWYORK,9March2017–GlobalPulse,theUnitedNationsinnovationinitiativeonbigdata,andWesternDigitalCorporation(NASDAQ:WDC),agloballeaderindatastoragetechnologiesandsolutions,announcedapartnershiptodaytolaunchthe“DataforClimateAction”challenge.DataforClimateActionisanunprecedentedopeninnovationchallengetoharnessdatascienceandbigdatafromtheprivatesectortofightclimatechange.Datascientists,researchers,andinnovatorsfromaroundtheworldareencouragedtoapplyandsubmittheirproposalsatDataForClimateAction.orgby10April2017.“Drivingeffectiveactiononclimatechangerequiresnotonlyclimatedata,butalsorichinformationabouthumanbehavior,”saidRobertKirkpatrick,DirectorofUNGlobalPulse.“Bigdatacanprovidedynamicfeedbackonhowcommunitiesaffectandareaffectedbytheclimatesystem,andenableinnovationtoincreasesustainabilityandresilience.Thisdataisprimarilyheldbycompanies,likethoseparticipatinginDataforClimateAction.”WithsupportfromtheSkollGlobalThreatsFund,thisglobalchallengehasgalvanizedadiversecoalitionofcompaniesfrommultipleindustriesandcountriestoparticipatethroughactsof‘dataphilanthropy’.Thechallengewillofferresearchersanopportunitytogainunprecedentedaccesstonational,regional,andglobaldatasets—anonymizedandaggregatedtoprotectprivacy—androbusttoolstosupporttheirresearch.Companiescontributingdataforthechallengeinclude:

● BBVAData&Analytics,afinancialdataanalyticscompany● CrimsonHexagon,anenterprisesocialmediaanalyticscompany● EarthNetworks,aweatherandlightningsensornetworkoperator● Nielsen,aglobalmeasurementandanalyticscompany● Orange,aglobaltelecommunicationsprovider

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● Planet,anearth-imagingsatellitenetworkoperator● PlumeLabs,anenvironmentaldatasciencescompany● SchneiderElectric,aglobalspecialistinenergymanagementandautomation● Waze,afree,real-timecommunity-basedtrafficandnavigationapp

Inaddition,researchersmayapplytoreceivecloud-computingsupportfromMicrosoft,andvisualanalyticssupportfromTableau.“Astheworld’slargestdatastoragecompany,weunderstandthepowerandpromiseofdata,andarepassionateaboutitsuseasacatalystforchange,”saidDaveTang,SeniorVicePresidentandGeneralManager,DataCenterSystemsBusinessUnit,WesternDigital.“WeareproudtopartnerwiththeUnitedNationsGlobalPulseteamtonotonlyhelpbuildthenarrativeandframeworkfortheDataforClimateActionchallenge,buttoamplifyanddriveengagementaroundthedataforsocialgoodmovement.Welookforwardtotheinsightsandsolutionsgeneratedfromthischallengeandthepossibilitiestheyrepresentforourfuture.”AbouttheChallenge:DataforClimateActionwilltargetthreeareasrelevanttotheUnitedNation’sSustainableDevelopmentGoalonclimateaction(SDG13):climatemitigation,climateadaptation,andthelinkagesbetweenclimatechangeandthebroader2030Agenda.Thechallengeaimstogenerateoriginalresearchpapersandtoolsthatdemonstratehowdata-driveninnovationcaninformon-the-groundsolutionsandtransformeffortstofightclimatechange.ItbuildsuponthemodelofdatasciencecompetitionspioneeredbyorganizationslikeKaggle,andcompany-specificinitiativestosharebigdataforthepublicgood,suchasthe“DataforDevelopment”challengeshostedbyOrange.ResearcherswhoareselectedtoparticipateinDataforClimateActionwillhavefourmonthstoconducttheirresearch.Adiversepanelofexpertsinclimatechangeanddatasciencewillevaluatefinalsubmissionsbasedontheirmethodology,relevance,andpotentialimpact.WinnerswillbeannouncedinNovemberof2017.Tosubmitanapplicationorfindadditionaldetailsonthechallenge,visittheofficialwebsiteatDataForClimateAction.org.ToreadmoreaboutWesternDigitalCorporation’ssupportforthedataforgoodmovement,visitDataMakesPossible.com.

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Contributingcompanies:ElenaAlfaro,CEO,BBVAData&Analytics:“AtBBVAData&Analyticswebelieveinthemoralobligationofdata-drivenorganizationstosharedataandcontributetosociety.InourpreviouscollaborationwithUNGlobalPulse,wediscoveredthataggregatedfinancialdatacanyieldinsightsintohowcrisesaffectvulnerablepopulations.Togetherwedemonstratedanovelmethodtomeasurecommunities’economicresiliencetonaturaldisasters.TheDataforClimateActionchallengerepresentsanotherconcretewaytoputdatatoworkforclimateaction,andwelookforwardtocontributingonceagain,withouraggregatedfinancialdataandourexcellenceindatascience."JimPinkelman,SeniorDirector,MicrosoftResearch:“Weareproudtobesupportingthisimportantglobalchallenge,andwelookforwardtoprovidingMicrosoftAzuretofurthertheworkoftheseinnovativeresearchers.”LisaErrion,VicePresidentforInternationalPublicPolicy,Nielsen:"NielsenispleasedtobepartofthisinnovativechallengeaspartofourDataforGoodinitiativetoenhancetheuseofdatatoadvancesocialgood."Mari-NoëlleJégo-Laveissière,SeniorExecutiveVicePresidentofInnovation,MarketingandTechnologies,Orange:“WeareconfidentthatDataforClimateActionwillhelpfosterresearchonthepotentialofdatatoaddressclimatechangeonaglobalscale.Orange’sinvolvementwiththechallengeisanaturalcontinuationofouropeninnovationinitiativesfocusedonhowbigdatasciencecancontributetosustainabledevelopmentandsocialwelfare.Thisillustratesourongoingcommitmenttofacilitatesolutionstohelpaddresssocialandenvironmentalissuesfortheentireglobalcommunity.”WillMarshall,CEOandCo-Founder,Planet:“Addressingclimatechangewillrequiremanyactorsworkingwiththemostpowerfultoolsavailable.AtPlanet,we’recontributingtothisvisionbyimagingthewholeworld,everyday,andmakingchangeonEarthvisibleandaccessible.WearedelightedtocollaboratewithUNGlobalPulseontheDataforClimateActionchallenge,andtoputthemostup-to-datedataaboutourplanetintothehandsofinnovatorswhocanhelpmakeprogressononeofthemosturgentissuesofourtime."RomainLacombe,CEOandCo-Founder,PlumeLabs:“PlumeLabsisdelightedtobetakingpartinDataforClimateActionbyprovidingaccesstothePlumeAirCloud,ouratmosphericpollutionAPI.Airpollutionisbothanenvironmentalandahealthcrisis.Throughopendataandinnovativesolutionswecanworktogethertomaketheairwebreathemoretransparent.”RonSznaider,SVPofCloudServices,SchneiderElectric:"Asagloballeaderinenergymanagementandautomation,SchneiderElectricistransformingtheweatherforecastingandagriculturalmarketsbydrivinginnovationthatenablesfarmingoperationstomakecritical,real-timedecisions.Welookforwardtoprovidingresearcherswithaccesstoweatherdata

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throughDataforClimateAction,sothattheycangeneratenewandinnovativesolutionsforfarmersandcommunitiesaroundtheworld.”NealMyrick,DirectorofSocialImpactatTableau&Director,TableauFoundation:“ThisChallengeisaterrificopportunitytobringdatavisualizationskillsandinsightstotheglobalcommunityofscientists,policymakers,innovators,andadvocatesfightingforclimateaction.We’rethrilledtodoourparttomakethatdataaccessibleandactionableforallthoseworkingforabetterfuture.”AdamFried,GlobalPartnerships,Waze:“UsingWazereal-time,crowdsourcedinsights,WazeConnectedCitizensProgrampartnershaveleddata-drivenexperimentationstosolvevariedmobilitychallenges,improvingemergencyresponsetimesandhyperlocaltrafficmanagement.We’reexcitedtoseehowresearchersparticipatingintheDataforClimateActionChallengecanexpandupontheimpactoftheConnectedCitizensProgramtoaccelerateclimateaction.”

############AboutUNGlobalPulseGlobalPulseisaUNinitiativeworkingtopromoteawarenessoftheopportunitiesbigdatapresentsforsustainabledevelopmentandhumanitarianaction,forgepublic-privatedatasharingpartnerships,generatehigh-impactanalyticaltoolsandapproachesthroughitsnetworkofPulseLabsanddrivebroaderadoptionofusefulinnovationsacrosstheUNsystem.GlobalPulseisaleadingvoiceinthedataphilanthropymovementandanadvocatefordataresponsibility.Formoreinformation,visitwww.unglobalpulse.orgorfollowonTwitter@UNGlobalPulse.AboutWesternDigitalCorporationWesternDigitalCorporation(NASDAQ:WDC)isanindustry-leadingproviderofstoragetechnologiesandsolutionsthatenablepeopletocreate,leverage,experienceandpreservedata.Thecompanyaddressesever-changingmarketneedsbyprovidingafullportfolioofcompelling,high-qualitystoragesolutionswithcustomer-focusedinnovation,highefficiency,flexibilityandspeed.OurproductsaremarketedundertheHGST,SanDiskandWDbrandstoOEMs,distributors,resellers,cloudinfrastructureprovidersandconsumers.LearnmoreaboutWesternDigital’s#DataMakesPossibleinitiative.AboutSkollGlobalThreatsFundThemissionoftheSkollGlobalThreatsFundistoconfrontglobalthreatsimperilinghumanitybyseekingsolutions,strengtheningalliances,andspurringtheactionsneededtosafeguardthefuture.TheFundproactivelyworkstofind,initiate,orco-createbreakthroughideasand/oractivitiesthatcanhavelarge-scaleimpact.Learnmoreatwww.skollglobalthreats.org.MEDIACONTACTS:FeliciaVacarelu LisaNeitzelUNGlobalPulse PorterNovelliforWesternDigitalCorp.Tel:646-723-4810 Tel:408-738-7884Email:felicia@unglobalpulse.org Email:lisa.neitzel@porternovelli.com