The Data Blueprint proposes a general specification for data architecture and information systems to accurately measure progress toward financial, economic, social and environmental sustainability via dynamic interlinkages between the individual company (micro), industry (meso), and environmental, social, and economic systems (macro) levels in order to spur the emergence of a truly green, regenerative, inclusive, and open global economy. Taking a “Positive Maverick” approach, it transcends the incrementalist approaches to data of ESG to focus on transforming raw data into insightful information, decision-useful intelligence, and actionable knowledge. The general specification is based on three primary dimensions necessary for building out a data infrastructure that fulfills the potential of triggering transformative systems change:
- Integration of the multiple capitals (natural, human, social, built, and financial) to optimize positive synergies between and amongst them, to better support the creation of financial, societal (shared), and system value (to employ a recently coined term.)
- Contextualization of organization-level impacts on the multiple capitals within the carrying capacities of those capitals at the systems level, either a virtuous (regenerative) or vicious (degenerative) cycle.
- Activation of responses when the sustainability of any capitals – and hence the potential for biota well-being and human fulfillment – is placed at significant risk. Data without engagement falls short of its potential; “activated” data fulfills its potential of driving the change signaled by integrated, contextualized data.
