Every community deserves its own data.
Water, food, health, climate, education, governance. Whatever problem you are trying to solve, your community needs its own evidence to understand it, act on it, and hold decision-makers to account. The Life Map makes that possible, anywhere in the world, at community scale.
Edward Darling, founder and CEO, introduces the Life Map · 2 min 37 s
Twice as many people. Far less of what sustains them.
Every Life Map metric starts in 1970 at an index of 100. Since then the global population index has risen to 212. The species index for freshwater has fallen to 16, for life on land to 39 and for marine life to 52. On climate, the index stands at 40 against the 2°C target.
This is the global view. The Life Map shows the same change, in the same format, for each nation and for every 30 km community cell.
We are told to change. We are rarely shown where we stand.
People are asked to act on climate, nature and fairness, but they are seldom given trusted information on how we got here, what works, and what actually makes a difference where they live.
National averages hide local reality. The data that exists is scattered across hundreds of organisations, in formats only specialists can read. Communities, councils, schools and businesses end up making decisions without seeing the evidence for their own place.
It joins up complex global data so anyone can use it.
Formally endorsed data, made readable
Interactive graphs, maps and heat maps built from formally endorsed data, with methods for digital audit and practical application.
All of life, on one ledger
Sixteen components that sustain life, aligned to all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, so the trade-offs between them are visible.
One standard, every scale
The same format for the global community, for each nation, and for every local community within it.
Four pillars. Sixteen components. Every SDG.
At the centre is life. Earth sustains it through Environment and Industry; people sustain it through Services and Humanities. Each pillar holds four components, and each component is aligned to an SDG. Select any segment of the wheel to see what it covers.
SDG 1, No Poverty, runs through all sixteen. Poverty shows up in occupation, finance, opportunity, housing, food and health together, which is why the Life Map reads them side by side.
Think globally. See it locally.
The Foundation is a stakeholder in the UN Action Plan for a Sustainable Planet in the Digital Age, turning “think globally” into local delivery.
Proven in the UK. Built to grow.
Life on Land, for every local community
The UK proof of concept delivered tailored Life on Land information for each local community. It let people calibrate performance, see what was working and share knowledge, and it produced the core material for policy and education as further metrics are added.
Build one metric, and everyone gains
Partners help create the base information and load new metrics for any component: first for the global community, then for each nation and its local communities. Each metric becomes part of the shared map and keeps working across places and sectors.
One map. Everyone who shapes a community.
The Life Map serves anyone who makes decisions about a place, or holds others to account for them. Choose who you are to see what it gives you.
Built by people who work with the data.
Edward DarlingFounder and CEOStrategy and Environment Lead. Global stakeholder, UN Action Plan for a Sustainable Planet in the Digital Age.
Athan FoxIndustry and Research LeadFellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
Prof. Dhakshana SivayoganathanHealthVisiting Professor of Medical Leadership and Innovation, University of Greater Manchester. Founder, National Health Innovation Incubator.
Michaela BonfieldEducationImpact Lead at OneHive. Psychologist with 10+ years in education and the charity sector.
Errol FinkelsteinChief Finance OfficerChartered Accountant, ex-Deloitte. Former CEO, MasterCard SmartLink. Founding Chair, UNESCO Garden Route Biosphere Reserve.
Markus KrebszDigital ComplianceUN Economic Commission for Europe, Group of Experts on Risk Management. ForHumanity Certified Auditor.
Maria MacAndrewAI EthicsChief Administrator, Aiethics.world. Founder of MyZalu, environmental stories for education in native languages.
Emma MillarLegal AdvisorSocial enterprise and charities solicitor, Broadfield Law UK LLP.
A registered charity, governed by an independent board.
The Life Map Foundation is a charity registered in England and Wales and a company limited by guarantee. Its trustees are responsible for the charity’s governance and strategy. Day-to-day leadership rests with the founder and CEO, Edward Darling, supported by the team above.
Board of Trustees
The trustees are also the directors of the charitable company. They are responsible for its governance, finances and annual accounts, and are accountable to the Charity Commission.
Registration and governance
- Charity
- Registered in England and Wales, No. 1152117
- Company
- Limited by guarantee, No. 08338804
- Incorporated
- 20 December 2012
- Former name
- Redlist Revival (until August 2024)
- Registered office
- The Granary, Greys, Therfield Road, Royston, Hertfordshire SG8 9NW
- Financial year
- 1 January to 31 December
- Accounts
- Independently examined and filed each year with the Charity Commission and Companies House
- Regulator
- Charity Commission for England and Wales
Bring the Life Map to your community, sector or programme.
For policy makers, resource managers and educators. Statutory, commercial or philanthropic. Local, national or global. Send an enquiry and Edward Darling will arrange an introductory meeting.
Send it to ed@thelifemap.foundation
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