Source Notes

Google

Google's 2026 Environmental Report presents annual transparency data and progress indicators on data centers, AI infrastructure, carbon emissions, water and energy use.

United Nations University (UNU-INWEH)

A United Nations University initiative aiming to standardize and make comparable the reporting of AI's environmental costs across energy, carbon, water and land.

United Nations University (UNU-INWEH)

A UNU-INWEH collection examining the carbon, water and land footprints of AI's energy consumption through multiple research contributions.

UNEP

A UNEP analysis frames AI's environmental problem and discusses policy, standards and practical steps the world can take.

UN News (summary of UNU report)

UN News summarizes the UNU report, highlighting AI's growing environmental costs on water, land and climate.

Stanford HAI

Stanford HAI's annual benchmark report measuring AI research, technical performance, economy, governance and societal impact across nine chapters.

UNEP

UNEP's annual assessment of the gap between countries' pledged emission reductions and levels required to limit warming to 1.5°C or 2°C.

International Energy Agency

IEA's flagship annual global energy analysis, placing energy security at center stage amid geopolitical volatility and modelling demand, supply, investment and emissions to 2050.

World Inequality Lab

Flagship global inequality report covering income, wealth, gender and climate inequality, plus analysis of multi-millionaire taxation and political cleavages.

Air Street Capital

Annual open-access analysis of the most important research, industry, policy and safety developments across the AI landscape.

World Meteorological Organization

WMO's flagship annual report placing 2025 among the hottest 11 years on record, documenting record ocean energy imbalance, sea level rise and extreme weather impacts.

SDSN

10th-anniversary SDG Index reviewing global SDG progress and urgent fiscal and multilateral reforms needed to finance sustainable development to 2030 and mid-century.

McKinsey & Company

McKinsey's annual global survey of organizational AI adoption — AI agents, value capture, governance practices and enterprise transformation.

UNEP

Evaluates the widening gap between climate adaptation needs and available finance, estimating developing countries require over $310 billion/year by 2035.

Wellbeing Research Centre — University of Oxford

Annual global ranking of national happiness across 140+ countries; the 2026 edition focuses on the relationship between social media use and youth wellbeing.

REN21

20th-anniversary edition of the only crowd-sourced annual overview of renewable energy markets, policies, investments and technology trends globally.

World Economic Forum

WEF's annual cybersecurity report examining AI-driven threats, geopolitical fragmentation, supply chain vulnerabilities and a widening global cyber-capacity divide.

World Economic Forum

WEF's 19th annual benchmark of gender parity across 148 economies on economic opportunity, education, health and political leadership dimensions.

The Lancet

Annual tracking of 47 indicators linking climate change to human health, warning that fossil fuel dependence is driving preventable deaths.

Freedom House

Annual survey of internet freedom in 72 countries, recording a 15th consecutive year of global decline and examining AI-driven controls and the uncertain future of the open internet.

Global Carbon Project

Annual scientific accounting of global CO₂ sources and sinks; finds fossil fuel emissions hit a record 38.1 Gt in 2025, further narrowing the Paris-aligned carbon budget.

OECD

OECD's annual labour market review, focusing on the looming demographic crunch as population ageing threatens productivity growth, fiscal sustainability and social cohesion.

Stanford HAI

Annual benchmark on AI technical progress, economic impact, policy landscape and societal effects.

Circle Economy

Circularity rate of the global economy and material flow analysis.

CAT

Independent tracker rating 40 countries' climate policies against 1.5°C alignment.

Edelman

Annual cross-country measure of trust in government, media, business and NGOs.

World Economic Forum

How tech, climate and demographics reshape jobs and skills through 2030.

Institute for Economics & Peace

Annual index ranking 163 countries on peace indicators.

World Economic Forum

Top global risks over 2- and 10-year horizons based on 900+ experts worldwide.

UNDP

Human Development Index and country-level development & inequality indicators.

Reuters Institute

Annual survey of digital news consumption, trust and platform use in 50+ countries.

World Meteorological Organization

WMO's annual indicators on temperature, sea level, ice mass and extreme weather.

Future of Life Institute

Independent evaluation of leading AI labs' risk management practices.

UNEP

UNEP analysis of the gap between current pledges and the 1.5°C target.

Freedom House

Country-level report on internet freedom and digital repression.

Mozilla Foundation

The health of the internet across openness, inclusion, privacy and security.

WWF

Biodiversity report documenting a 73% decline in monitored wildlife populations.

Net Zero Tracker

Coverage and integrity of net-zero targets by countries, cities, regions and companies.

OECD

Labour market, wages and the impact of AI on work across OECD countries.

Potsdam Institute

Current state of the nine planetary boundaries — six now transgressed.

REN21

Global renewable energy capacity, investment and policy landscape.

Air Street Capital

Annual compendium of AI research, industry, safety and policy.

SDSN

Country performance index for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

International Energy Agency

IEA's global scenario analysis of energy supply, demand, investment and transition.

World Inequality Lab

Long-run global data on income and wealth inequality.

IPCC

Synthesis of the UN climate science sixth assessment cycle — the reference frame for the climate crisis.