Introducing OpenESG: The World's Sustainability Data Infrastructure

What is OpenESG

Our mission is to enable everyone to understand where their products come from, and to buy from companies that reflect their values. We are amalgamating my generation’s passion for sustainability with the transformative power of AI to provide free, fast, dynamic and open access to sustainability data about businesses and their products from around the world.

As a generation, we have realized that protesting or complaining alone cannot resolve the world’s problems. We must actively participate in mitigating risks and making a change. That’s where?OpenESG ?steps in — helping companies share sustainability data and collaborate while promoting transparency and informed consumer decisions — using our AI tools to understand and improve their overall planetary and social impact.

Our Approach

We strongly believe in the principles of ESG but question the existing ESG approaches that are manual, punitive, expensive and closed — while not rewarding world changing impact such as Elon Musk with Tesla. We see the demand for a more participative platform. We believe that this field shouldn’t be governed by the politics of a few; rather it should be a community-led endeavor where scores are not arbitrarily determined but based on an open system. So we established our independent?Expert Council ?— developing the OpenESG scoring system within a?DAO voting structure .

We’re addressing outdated ESG systems by leveraging our expertise in AI and sustainability to offer readily available, intelligent, and environmentally conscious data together with AI LLM query capabilities in the ESG field. Our AI works like a sports trainer for businesses and investor portfolios, helping them improve their “ESG health” by sourcing responsible suppliers, sharing best practices and finding customers that share their values.

One of the significant challenges today for companies is finding a responsible supplier. The process is tedious, costly, and devoid of a reliable review system — a Trustpilot for responsible suppliers, if you will. OpenESG aims to solve this problem by creating a comprehensive, reliable, and accessible database of such suppliers. Our goal is not just to provide data but to stimulate discussions around it and ultimately drive action — effectively nudging society forward without the constant naming and shaming negativity that only encourages greenwashing.

My journey to OpenESG

My journey towards OpenESG started when I learnt that my birthplace UlanBator was the?most polluted city in the world (now there are worst offenders ), which inspired me to write my thesis on?alternative energy strategies ?at 21 — and my passion for sustainability began. I joined?Pareto Securities ?to help spur capital markets investment into alternative energy, mining, shipping and food companies.

I became inspired by how technology could enable greater transparency into the products we buy — due to the emergence of blockchain track and trace systems. I founded my first company, focused on sustainable cashmere from Mongolia enabled by?ScanTrust ’s QR code and supply chain mapping product, to show the incredible work of herders and factory workers to our customers. It was important to me to add economic value to suppliers of Mongolian cashmere, the second largest industry after mining in Mongolia, because the middle-men in Italy get the majority of the margin. I strongly believe tech savvy suppliers around the world can unlock huge amounts of commercial value.

I saw that next generation technology would help businesses improve with increasing digitalisation in their operations, sales and supply chain management. I became fascinated with the rise of Web3 and joined?ConsenSys ?in 2017 to drive their international business operations and took the Ethereum ecosystem to the WEF's Annual Gathering in Davos in 2018. I then co-founded?Clear.AI , a venture committed to optimizing supply chains for sustainability using AI. These experiences shaped my thinking in developing a more robust and transparent ESG data system that is positively encouraging companies to improve.

I strongly believe in the power of positive reinforcement. Much like my English teacher nudged me towards excellence in high school, at OpenESG we aspire to nudge businesses towards sustainable excellence. I am devoted to helping businesses to align with the values of the upcoming generations, emphasizing the need for sustainable supply chains around the world.

I am passionately focused on solving sustainability for all countries and companies. We are already working with Lifesum , Europe's largest health app users providing nutri-scores,?in the US and Europe to develop ecodata on products scanned by their +55 million customers.

Our team

My co-founders are: Chief Research Officer?Daniel Ellison , a world-renowned Web3 developer, previously at ConsenSys building Ethereum infrastructure and formerly founding CTO of a Supplier Network Business, and Chairman and Chief Partnerships Officer?David Aikman : the creator of the World Economic Forum 's Young Global Leaders and Global Shapers, and CRO WEF in China.

The rest of our team: Chief Product Officer,?Frank Meehan , built ESG data software?Equilbrium.AI , invests into agriculture and climate tech via?Cultiv8 ?and is former Board Member of Spotify and Siri; Chief Financial Officer, Phil Green, formerly CFO EMEA Amazon, CFO Groupon and Deliveroo; VP Strategic Initiatives,?Leyla Sertel , has a background in scaling B2B SaaS business and leading go to market previously at?FiscalNote ?and?Quorum .

Our independent Expert Council: comprised of world-class specialists in climate, industry and sustainability, including Adam Werbach (former Head of Sustainable Shopping at Amazon ), Eberhard Ruess (former Head of CIO of Nestle for 27 years), Caroline Casey (The Valuable 500 ), Reem Khouri (Whyise ), Kristin Rechberger (Dynamic Planet ), Alvaro Rodríguez Arregui (IGNIA ), Asher Jay (National Geographic Explorer ), Claudia Edelman (We Are All Human Foundation ), Daniella Helayel (Isa), Harry MacKenzie (BraveNewEarth ), Dr. Birgit Vallmüür?(TitanSwan), Jaclyn Seow (OpenSpace Ventures), Steph L Dickson?(Green is the New Black ),?(Omar Fayed (EarthX ) and Oliver Niedermaier (TAU ). We are global by design and have representation from Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America and Latam.

Our esteemed advisors lending their expertise to our team. OpenESG is supported by the NEAR Protocol and has been funded to date by myself, Daniel Ellison, Frank Meehan, David Shrier (Professor of AI and Innovation at Imperial College London, former Professor at MIT and University of Oxford), Sandy Peng (Founder of Scroll) and Phaze Ventures .

Join us

In my generation it’s cool to care and buy from responsible companies. We’re fed up with inaction and fragmentation; we want collaboration, action, and recognition for our sustainable choices. With the world more interconnected than ever, every purchasing decision has far-reaching consequences.

With the news that?global warming is now 66% likely to break 1.5C limit by 2027 ?— it’s time we start planning for a new world, thinking long-term, and weaving sustainable alternatives into our economic fabric. OpenESG is our step towards this world, where data empowers us to make better decisions for our planet and people.

However… OpenESG is not just about data; it’s about creating a sustainable change in the world and simplifying participation in that change. We’re thrilled about this journey and look forward to the sustainable future we can build together.

Join our movement at?openesg.com .

Tee Ganbold, Co-founder and CEO, OpenESG.com.

Follow us on LinkedIn?OpenESG ?or Twitter at?open_esg ?for updates on our journey.