The Executive’s Playbook on Earth Observation

The document argues that while Earth observation (EO) has the potential to contribute $3.8 trillion to global GDP by 2030, much of this value remains unrealized due to low adoption rates. It outlines a three-step 'ABC' process for adoption: Articulating the value proposition, Bolstering strategic alignment across executive roles (strategy, finance, technology, operations, and sustainability), and Charting the execution strategy. The guide emphasizes that EO is most effective for large-scale, high-frequency, or remote data needs and suggests a blend of open-source and commercial data to maximize return on investment.

• Earth observation (EO) technologies are estimated to potentially contribute $3.8 trillion to global GDP between 2023 and 2030 and eliminate 2 gigatonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually.
• The supply side of the EO market has shifted significantly toward commercial ownership, with 90% of EO satellites launched in 2023 being commercially owned, compared to only 15% in 2014.
• EO is uniquely positioned to generate value when addressing specific problem dimensions: broad-scale geographical coverage, frequent data collection needs, ecosystem-wide issues, long-term trend analysis via historical data, and the integration of spatial and non-spatial data.
• For strategy executives, EO can provide a competitive edge through market analysis, supply forecasting, and catering to eco-conscious markets; for example, verified proof of origin for products like palm oil can command a price premium of up to 30%.
• EO supports sustainability executives by enabling digital measurement, reporting, and verification (dMRV) of environmental impacts, which is critical as over 50% of essential climate variables can only be measured at scale from space.
• In operational logistics, integrating EO data with supply chain control-tower data can optimize ship route efficiency, potentially reducing fuel consumption by up to 3%.
• The traditional EO business model, based on a price-per-image framework, is described as flawed because it forces customers to buy entire satellite scenes even when only small regions are needed, hindering widespread adoption.
• Effective implementation requires a tiered approach to data: open-source data (e.g., NASA's Landsat or Copernicus' Sentinel) is cost-effective for broad scopes, while commercial data is necessary for higher precision and temporal resolution.
• To ensure durable impact, the document recommends establishing an executive-level EO champion and a cross-departmental EO working group to define metrics and manage implementation.

APA

World Economic Forum (2025). The Executive’s Playbook on Earth Observation. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Executive%E2%80%99s_Playbook_on_Earth_Observation.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. The Executive’s Playbook on Earth Observation. 2025. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Executive%E2%80%99s_Playbook_on_Earth_Observation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=The Executive’s Playbook on Earth Observation |date=January 2025 |url=https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Executive%E2%80%99s_Playbook_on_Earth_Observation.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2025executives, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{The Executive’s Playbook on Earth Observation}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Executive%E2%80%99s_Playbook_on_Earth_Observation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }