SAFE: Shared Analytic Framework for the Environment

Environmental assessments draw on many different sources of information, analytical methods and decision-support tools. Without a shared view of how these capabilities connect, effort can be fragmented, duplication can occur and important gaps can remain hidden.

SAFE provides a common framework for mapping the building blocks of the environmental information and analytics supply chain and understanding their interdependencies. The framework is designed as a management tool, helping organisations identify the capabilities needed to support environmental assessments and align effort and investment across the system. SAFE 2.0 further develops this approach by providing a common vocabulary for the increasingly complex environmental data landscape.

SAFE was developed to support a move towards more robust, repeatable and transparent environmental decision-making. A clearer understanding of how information, analytical capabilities and reporting tools fit together can help reduce duplication, improve coordination and identify where investment will have the greatest value.

The framework also has practical benefits for both decision-makers and proponents. Better alignment across the information supply chain can help investors understand environmental risks and develop mitigation strategies, while supporting greater consistency between regulators and providing greater public confidence in the quality of environmental decisions. SAFE was developed by WABSI, WAMSI and partners using an internationally informed approach to biodiversity information management.