The International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) and the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), both under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), have been awarded the 2025 GEO SDG Award.

The award recognizes their outstanding work leveraging Earth observation (EO) technologies and big data analytics to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15: Life on Land. This marks the first time Chinese institutions have received this international recognition from the Group on Earth Observations (GEO).

Presented during the GEO Global Forum in Rome, Italy, on May 7, 2025, the award highlights CBAS and AIR’s leadership in addressing critical global challenges related to land degradation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable ecosystem management.

Founded in 2021, CBAS leads interdisciplinary research integrating Earth system science, sustainability, and big data to accelerate progress toward the 2030 Agenda. In collaboration with AIR, their joint project, Big Earth Data in Support of SDG 15, has pioneered advanced geospatial tools to monitor and protect terrestrial ecosystems.

Key achievements include the development of critical datasets on land productivity dynamics and biodiversity hotspots, as well as the launch of the GGW-BDF platform, which harnesses satellite data—including from China's SDGSAT-1—to combat desertification and support Africa’s Great Green Wall Initiative.

Leveraging China’s extensive expertise in desertification control, this platform provides policymakers and stakeholders with critical insights for visualizing land degradation trends and prioritizing effective interventions.

This work has contributed significantly to the “Big Earth Data in Support of Sustainable Development Goals” report series, establishing a global model for scalable, data-driven solutions.

“This recognition underscores the transformative potential of Earth observation and big data in safeguarding our planet’s ecosystems,” said a CBAS representative. “By combining cutting-edge technology with global partnerships, we are delivering actionable insights to protect biodiversity and promote land restoration.”

As a GEO Participating Organization awardee, CBAS and AIR exemplify how international collaboration and innovation can drive progress toward the SDGs. Their contributions directly advance targets under SDG 15, including halting biodiversity loss and achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030.

The GEO SDG Awards Program, now in its sixth year, celebrates exceptional efforts to harness Earth observations for sustainable development.

The certificate. (Image by AIR)

Prof. LI Xiaosong, on behalf of CBAS and AIR, receives the award during the award ceremony. (Credit: EARSC)