OpenEco Documentation

Self-hosted climate transparency for enterprises

View the Project on GitHub Open-Eco/oe-core

Open Climate Transparency Platform — FAQ

1. What is this platform?

It is an open, transparent, nonprofit climate impact platform that allows companies to:

Our mission is simple:

Climate transparency should not be paywalled.

2. Is the platform really free?

Yes.

The platform is fully free to use, with no paid tiers and no locked features. Sustainability should be accessible to every organization, not just those who can afford enterprise software.

3. Why is it open source?

Because transparency requires transparency.

Open code and open data build trust — something the climate sector desperately needs.

4. Does open source make the platform less secure?

No.

Security comes from architecture and governance, not secrecy.

The platform keeps all sensitive operational elements private:

Open source only exposes the logic, not the secrets.

This is how Linux, OpenSSL, Kubernetes, and every major encryption library operate — and they power the entire internet.

5. If the code is public, couldn’t someone hack it?

Seeing code doesn’t allow someone to:

Security relies on:

Open code does not equal open access.

6. What does “transparent data” mean?

It means companies intentionally publish key sustainability data into a public, global database, including:

Transparency eliminates greenwashing and allows researchers, policymakers, and the public to see the truth.

7. If our data is public, why do we need security at all?

Because we still need to protect:

Security ensures trust in transparent data.

8. How do you verify organizations?

Organizations go through a validation process:

This prevents fake companies from polluting the dataset.

9. How are emissions or sustainability calculations protected from manipulation?

All calculations are:

Changes require a transparent RFC process and scientific review.

10. Who owns the data in the platform?

The submitting organizations own their data. But by submitting, they agree to publicly publish it under an open data license.

This ensures global reuse by:

11. Can companies remove or hide past data?

No.

Climate data must be historically accurate.

If a correction is needed, companies issue an updated entry, and the correction appears in a public revision log.

This prevents retroactive greenwashing.

12. What happens if a company submits false information?

All data is:

The transparency model discourages manipulation because the exposure is immediate.

13. Will this platform integrate with our internal systems?

Yes.

You can connect:

All integrations use secure API keys and follow zero-trust principles.

21. How does the AI Assistant work for data entry?

The AI Assistant provides a conversational interface for entering sustainability data.

Example: “We used 50,000 kWh of electricity last year” → AI structures as Scope 2 emissions data.

22. What are Company Profile Pages?

Open-source, self-hosted profile pages where companies curate their sustainability story.

Companies maintain full control while integrating with the platform’s metrics database.

23. Can I search and compare company data?

Yes. The platform includes a searchable metrics database.

All published data is open and queryable.

24. What’s the barrier to entry for companies?

Minimal. The platform is designed for accessibility.

Small businesses, non-profits, and companies new to sustainability reporting can all participate easily.

14. How do you prevent breaking changes to our systems?

Through:

No sudden or opaque changes.

15. Why should companies use this instead of a paid platform like Watershed?

Because:

Paid platforms keep climate data hidden. We believe climate accountability belongs to everyone.

16. Can researchers, NGOs, or governments use the dataset?

Yes — freely.

All published climate data is accessible via:

The more eyes on the data, the better.

17. Isn’t this system vulnerable to denial-of-service or spam?

We implement:

These controls protect against automated abuse.

18. What if someone tries to impersonate a company?

They can’t.

Identity verification includes:

Impersonation attempts fail at the verification gate.

19. Does this count as “open data”?

Yes — this platform creates the world’s first open, standardized, auditable global climate impact dataset.

This is a public good.

20. How does this initiative stay financially sustainable if it’s free?

The project is supported by:

There are no paywalls, upsells, or premium tiers.