What Climate Accountability Foundation does

Climate Accountability Foundation is a Berlin-based non-profit organization (legal entity: Climate Accountability API gUG, haftungsbeschränkt) that operates a free, public REST API platform delivering scientific climate and atmospheric data to developers, researchers, and the public. Founded by René Rodríguez in June 2020 as a side project and formally incorporated in June 2023, the foundation exposes six JSON-format APIs covering global temperature anomalies (1880–present, NASA GISTEMP v4), CO2 concentration (ppm), methane (ppb, since 1983), nitrous oxide (ppb, since 2001), sea ice extent (1979–2024), and ocean warming (NOAA ERSST), all hosted on Vercel with Amazon CloudFront CDN distribution. The core team comprises eight members including two software developers, a data scientist, a data analyst, an ESG researcher, a legal advisor, and two fundraising/grant-writing roles.

The platform's second product layer is a login-gated Company ESG data platform (data.global-warming.org) tracking environmental impact metrics — GHG emissions, deforestation, commitment status, net emission reduction, and climate contribution — for major corporates including Volkswagen, JBS, Apple, Amazon, Siemens, and Adidas. A complementary Deforestation module aggregates University of Maryland satellite data, MapBuilders, news sources, and academic journals. The foundation's mission explicitly positions all data as "open, free, and accessible to everyone," with revenue sourced exclusively from donations (GLS Bank integration) and grants rather than commercial fees — consistent with its German gUG (charitable limited liability company) status. The GTM motion is API-first / product-led growth targeting ESG researchers, developers, and enterprises indirectly via the corporate ESG data layer, with a stated roadmap culminating in a global platform launch targeted for 2027.

Name

Climate Accountability Foundation

Legal name

Climate Accountability API gUG (haftungsbeschränkt)

Website

https://global-warming.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Climate Accountability Foundation is a Berlin-based non-profit operating free public REST APIs for scientific climate and ESG data, plus a login-gated corporate ESG analytics platform, serving developers, researchers, and enterprises globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate and ESG Data Platform

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate & Emissions Data Management (Data Lake, Integration, APIs) (EUABAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

ESG/Sustainability Reporting & Disclosure Platforms (EUABAEAB), Climate Risk & Scenario Analysis (TCFD/IFRS S2) (EUAHAJAD)

Keywords

• Climate data APIs
• Environmental monitoring
• ESG analytics
• Greenhouse gas data
• Deforestation tracking

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donations and Non-profit Funding: Operating as a non-profit organization (gUG) in Berlin, Germany. Mission-driven approach focused on providing free, open environmental data rather than commercial revenue generation. Currently in fundraising phase (2025 milestone) with plans to sustain operations through donations and grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Climate Accountability Foundation provides a suite of six free public REST APIs delivering JSON-format climate and atmospheric time-series data (global temperature anomalies, CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, sea ice extent, ocean warming) sourced from NASA GISTEMP and NOAA ERSST. Complementing the APIs, the organization operates a login-gated Company ESG Data Platform delivering environmental impact scores for major corporations, plus a Global Deforestation data section aggregating satellite and academic deforestation datasets.

Product overview

Climate Accountability Foundation operates a unified climate and ESG data platform centered on a suite of free public REST APIs delivering scientific climate measurements and a proprietary company-level ESG analytics platform. The API suite includes six distinct data APIs — Global Temperature Anomalies, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane, Nitrous Oxide, Sea Ice/Arctic, and Ocean Warming APIs — all publicly accessible, returning JSON-format time-series data sourced from NASA GISTEMP, NOAA ERSST, and other scientific datasets. Complementing the public APIs are two additional data layers: a global deforestation monitoring section leveraging University of Maryland satellite data, MapBuilders, news, and academic sources; and a login-gated company ESG data platform (data.global-warming.org) providing structured company-level environmental impact scores across GHG emissions, deforestation, commitment status, net emission reduction, and climate offsetting. The company also aggregates real-time climate news from NewsCatcher and GNews APIs. The organization is structured as a nonprofit gUG (haftungsbeschränkt) based in Berlin, Germany, incorporated in June 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Temperature Anomalies API A free public REST API delivering monthly global mean surface temperature anomaly data from 1880 to present in JSON format, sourced from NASA GISTEMP v4. Designed for developers, researchers, and businesses integrating historical temperature trend data into applications.
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2) API A free public REST API providing quasi-daily atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration data (mole fraction in dry air, ppm) covering approximately the last decade to present, accessible via https://global-warming.org/api/co2-api. Aimed at developers, researchers, and climate applications requiring recent CO2 trend data.
• Methane API A free public REST API providing global monthly mean atmospheric methane abundance data from 1983 to present in parts per billion (ppb), accessible via https://global-warming.org/api/methane-api. Targeted at climate researchers, developers, and policy analysts tracking atmospheric methane trends.
• Nitrous Oxide API A free public REST API providing global monthly mean atmospheric nitrous oxide abundance data from 2001 to present in parts per billion (ppb), accessible via https://global-warming.org/api/nitrous-oxide-api. Built for climate researchers, developers, and atmospheric scientists monitoring N2O levels.
• Sea Ice / Arctic API A free public REST API providing monthly sea ice extent data from 1979 to 2024 for the Globe, Northern Hemisphere, and Southern Hemisphere, accessible via https://global-warming.org/api/arctic-api. Used by researchers, journalists, and developers tracking polar ice trends.
• Ocean Warming API A free public REST API providing global monthly ocean temperature anomalies based on the Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST) dataset derived from ICOADS, covering February to January averages. Accessible via https://global-warming.org/api/ocean-warming-api. Designed for oceanographers, climate researchers, and developers.
• Company ESG Data Platform A proprietary ESG data platform at data.global-warming.org providing company-level environmental, social, and governance impact data including GHG emission disclosures, deforestation disclosures, commitment status, net emission reduction, climate contribution/offsetting, and composite environmental impact scores. Covers major corporations including Volkswagen AG, JBS, Apple Inc., Amazon Inc., Siemens AG, and Adidas AG. Access requires login/registration. Targeted at enterprise sustainability, ESG, and compliance teams.
• Global Deforestation Data Platform A dedicated platform section at global-warming.org/deforestation collecting and presenting current global deforestation status using APIs, databases, news sources, MapBuilders (including University of Maryland's global forest loss map), and academic journals. Serves researchers, journalists, and policy advocates monitoring deforestation worldwide.
• Climate & ESG News Aggregation An aggregated news feed at global-warming.org/news surfacing up-to-date global warming and climate change news articles sourced from NewsCatcher and GNews APIs, presented alongside climate data dashboards. Provides content marketing and current-events coverage for the climate research and policy audience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Significant global traction and extensive usage since 2020 launch
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CLIMACT ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joined as consortium member of CLIMACT, a collaborative initiative focused on climate action and sustainability. Binda Consulting is associated with this partnership.
• Ontec EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting Climate Accountability API work through energy sector expertise and climate action initiatives.
• Roots of ImpactminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting Climate Accountability API work, providing expertise in impact measurement and sustainable development.
• Vercel Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationExternal hosting provider for the Climate Accountability API website. Server location: 440 N Barranca Ave #4133, Covina, CA 91723. Vercel provides the cloud infrastructure for the platform.
• Amazon Web Services EMEA SARL (CloudFront CDN)coreTechnology or IntegrationContent Delivery Network provider using Amazon CloudFront CDN for global distribution and performance optimization. AWS EMEA SARL located at 38 avenue John F. Kennedy, L-1855, Luxembourg.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): Global nonprofit running the largest corporate climate and ESG disclosure system used by investors and large corporates (including VW, Apple, and Amazon-class companies). Overlaps with the foundation's corporate ESG scoring in targeting the same enterprise accountability buyers.
• Workiva: Public SaaS platform for ESG and sustainability reporting with deep enterprise customer base including large multinationals. Competes for the same corporate ESG disclosure workflows that the foundation's login-gated ESG platform targets.
• Our World in Data: Non-profit research publication providing open, free datasets and visualizations on climate change and ESG-related topics including CO2, methane, and temperature. Comparable as a high-traffic, freely-available source for the same historical climate datasets Climate Accountability Foundation exposes via APIs.
• Watershed: Well-capitalized commercial enterprise carbon accounting and ESG reporting platform serving large corporations. Represents the kind of well-funded enterprise ESG competitor that Climate Accountability Foundation's company-scoring product would face in enterprise procurement.
• Sphera (now part of Blackstone / formerly MSCI ESG): Large established ESG data and software provider covering corporate environmental performance and sustainability reporting. Represents scaled incumbent competition for corporate ESG analytics of the kind Climate Accountability Foundation offers via data.global-warming.org.

Direct peers

• Climate TRACE: Coalition-backed open climate emissions platform providing free public datasets of greenhouse gas emissions. Most directly comparable to Climate Accountability Foundation because both publish free climate data derived from authoritative scientific sources with developer/API access.
• Global Carbon Atlas: Open-access platform providing global CO2 emissions and country-level carbon data from authoritative scientific sources. Closely comparable in offering free public data on atmospheric carbon, mirroring the CO2 and methane APIs offered by Climate Accountability Foundation.

Emerging players

• Carbon Brief: Climate-science journalism and data visualization outlet covering global warming indicators and policy. Compares as a free public-facing climate information source that pairs scientific data with editorialized climate context for researchers and the public.
• Persefon (ex-Sinai Technologies): Enterprise carbon accounting and decarbonization platform targeting heavy industry and large corporates. Comparable as a competitor for the foundation's company-level ESG analytics among Volkswagen/Siemens-class enterprise buyers.

Others

• Carbon Engineering / Carbonfuture: Carbon markets and climate data infrastructure focused on carbon removal credits and project-level data. Adjacent because it sits in the broader climate-data ecosystem where the foundation's deforestation and emissions offerings overlap thematically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/rene-mdd/global-warming
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Climate Accountability Foundation