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Poster Short Abstract

An updated mapping of CS initiatives to SDGs, which maps and quantifies alignment across 79 indicators. This evidence roadmap addresses "vague policy language" hindering Citizen Generated Data uptake in Environmental Compliance Assurance for zero pollution, biodiversity, and deforestation.

Poster Abstract

This poster presents the systematic results of an updated mapping of Citizen Science (CS) contributions against the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators. Building on previous analysis that identified potential contributions to 76 indicators, our work systematically categorises contributions as "already contributing," "could contribute," or "no alignment present".

The analysis highlights the expanding and vital role of CS, confirming that the greatest contributions lie in the environmental domains, specifically SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). This systematic mapping serves as a critical, quantifiable resource for fostering collaborative Environmental Compliance Assurance (ECA).

Integrating this technical evidence with findings from More4nature’s policy landscape analysis reveals a key barrier: despite influential policies such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) increasingly referring to CS, the resulting policy language is often vague or ambiguous regarding the formal uptake of Citizen Generated Data (CGD). This ambiguity leads to inconsistent national implementation, hindering the institutionalisation of CGD in ECA.

The quantified potential provided by the mapping offers the necessary clarity and strategic evidence base to address these policy gaps. The More4nature project utilises this approach in 40 real-world cases (Z/B/D) to strategically engage national agencies and authorities, demonstrating how leveraging empirical data can drive transformative shifts toward robust, collaborative ECA.