EO represents a vital tool for organizations to better understand their physical assets, the impact the environment may have on those assets and those assets’ impact on their environment. While EO can benefit many organizations, it provides the most substantial value in cases requiring large- scale, high-frequency or remote data. Given the breadth of potential use cases, end users may find themselves in the “paradox of choice,” unable to choose or prioritize applications for implementation. To overcome this analysis paralysis, it is essential to clarify the unique and organization-specific value proposition of EO within a systematic framework. The key to articulating a compelling value proposition is to first understand how EO addresses specific challenges that are critical to an organization’s success – the challenges where approaches void of EO may fall short in delivering timely, accurate and actionable insights, hindering decision-making across the organization.To grasp EO’s fundamental value proposition, high-level categories of use are helpful. These categories are not meant to be exhaustive. Instead, they represent some of the primary ways in which organizations can use EO to create value. Table 1 highlights these categories as well as the strategic issues within these categories where EO can make a significant difference.1.1 Common problems that EO can help address Earth observation data is not usable in a vacuum – you need to have a problem-first mindset. Awais Ahmed, Pixxel Category Description Common problem to address Consumer experienceProviding individual users up-to-date environmental information (e.g. air quality data and weather forecasts), typically through public servicesCustomers desire increasingly transparent and up-to-date information on various environmental factors that may impact their health or day-to-day activities Early warning Detecting environmental events – like floods and wildfires – to bolster planning, response and recoveryDelay in responding to natural hazards results in higher damages and loss of life Environmental impact monitoring and disclosureMeasuring environmental outcomes to enhance transparency in ESG, TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures) and TCFD (Taskforce on Climate- related Financial Disclosures) reporting, and ensure accurate disclosure of environmental performance.Lack of consistent and reliable environmental data for accurate reporting leads to challenges in meeting regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations Post-event analysis and recoveryAnalysing environmental changes to direct emergency response and measuring the extent of damages A lack of data from areas recently impacted by environmental events leads to slower assessments of the aftermath, hindering effective recovery and resource allocation for recovery efforts Precision agriculture and aquaculturePredicting and monitoring in-season agricultural performance and yieldWithout precise information on crop yield at scale, farmers and aquaculture managers face inefficiencies in resource use (e.g. in use of water, fertilizers and feed) that may lead to an outsized environmental impact Route optimization Monitoring transport routes in concert with positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) data by detecting potential environmental disruptions and offering alternatives based on environmental impactUnanticipated delays along transportation routes caused by inadequate knowledge of real-time weather, road conditions or geographical barriers may lead to service disruptions and higher costs Site selection Identifying new operating sites for large-scale infrastructure Inaccessible potential sites like mining fields and fishing grounds and potential areas of natural resources, or sites with hard-to- measure indicators of output, often rely on predictions instead of direct measurements, leading to a higher risk of failure Supply-chain monitoringDetecting changes to physical goods’ supply chains and their impacts on international commerce and ecological indicatorsLimited visibility into physical supply-chain sources, especially in regions prone to environmental disruptions, may lead to production delays and potential legal liability from unethical practices Vulnerability analysis Characterizing and assessing the risks posed by environmental changes and other hazards that may materially impact people, physical assets and operationsDifficulty in predicting areas highly susceptible to disasters or environmental stress may lead to inadequate preparedness and hinder proactive risk mitigationTABLE 1 Common problems addressable with EO The Executive’s Playbook on Earth Observation: Strategic Insights for a Changing Planet 10

The Executive%E2%80%99s Playbook on Earth Observation