Standards·Geospatial and Earth observation·Crosswalk
Geospatial and Earth observation
Geospatial and Earth observation: crosswalk to external standards
The external standards in the crosswalk domains of geospatial and Earth observation, from the register, with the relation of each to the Nexus Standards. Each row links to the issuing body, and each relation is evidenced by attestations identified by UNIs (Unique Nexus Identifier).
Geospatial and Earth observation
- Nexus Standards: NS-3, NS-3b, NS-5.
- Open standards: SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC); OGC API – Features – Part 1: Core; OGC API – Records – Part 1: Core; OGC Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF Standard; GeoParquet; Zarr storage specification; NetCDF Climate and Forecast (CF) Metadata Conventions; RFC 7946 The GeoJSON Format; UN-GGIM Integrated Geospatial Information Framework.
- Data and feeds: NASA Common Metadata Repository (CMR) search API; Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem STAC catalogue; geoBoundaries gbOpen; Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL); Natural Earth vector and raster data.
- Couples with: Visualisation, figures and maps; Data and datasets; Real-time and streaming data; Hazards and disaster risk reduction.
01Process
The process.
Crosswalk graph · geospatial and earth observationNexus Standards registry
Nexus StandardsDomainsExternal standardsIssuing bodiesImplementing repositories
The crosswalk as a table: 31 external standards by domain
| Domain | External standard | Issuing body | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate | GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard | World Resources Institute and WBCSD (GHG Protocol) | cite |
| Climate | GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting… | GHG Protocol | cite |
| Climate | GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance | GHG Protocol | cite |
| Climate | GOOS Essential Ocean Variables | IOC-UNESCO Global Ocean Observing System | adopt |
| Climate | IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures | International Sustainability Standards Board (IFRS Foundation) | crosswalk |
| Climate | INFORM Climate Change Risk Index – Concept and Methodology | European Commission Joint Research Centre | cite |
| Climate | IPCC AR6 Working Group II – risk framing (hazard… | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change | adopt |
| Climate | ISO 14090:2019 Adaptation to climate change – Principles… | ISO/TC 207/SC 7 | crosswalk |
| Climate | ISO 14091:2021 Adaptation to climate change – Guidelines… | ISO/TC 207/SC 7 | crosswalk |
| Climate | NGFS long-term climate macro-financial scenarios | Network for Greening the Financial System | cite |
| Climate | SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard | Science Based Targets initiative | cite |
| Climate | UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience (Global Goal… | UNFCCC | cite |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | CCSDS space data system standards | Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems | cite |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite… | UN Office for Outer Space Affairs | cite |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | ISO 19115-1:2014 Geographic information – Metadata – Part… | ISO/TC 211 | crosswalk |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | ISO 19157-1:2023 Geographic information – Data quality… | ISO/TC 211 | crosswalk |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | OGC API – Features – Part 1: Core | Open Geospatial Consortium | adopt |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | OGC API – Records – Part 1: Core | Open Geospatial Consortium | crosswalk |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | OGC GeoPackage Encoding Standard | Open Geospatial Consortium | cite |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | OGC GeoSPARQL – A Geographic Query Language for RDF Data | OGC | adopt |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | OGC SensorML encoding standard | OGC | adopt |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | OGC SensorThings API Part 1: Sensing | Open Geospatial Consortium | crosswalk |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | RFC 7946 The GeoJSON Format | IETF | adopt |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC) specification | STAC community; OGC Community Standard 25-004 | adopt |
| Geospatial and Earth observation | UN-GGIM Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF) | UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management | cite |
| Nature-related disclosure and ecosystems | IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology | IUCN | adopt |
| Nature-related disclosure and ecosystems | IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria | IUCN | adopt |
| Nature-related disclosure and ecosystems | Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework | Convention on Biological Diversity | cite |
| Nature-related disclosure and ecosystems | Recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related… | TNFD | crosswalk |
| Nature-related disclosure and ecosystems | System of Environmental-Economic Accounting – Ecosystem… | UN Statistical Commission | crosswalk |
| Nature-related disclosure and ecosystems | UNCCD Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation… | UN Convention to Combat Desertification | cite |
Nexus Standards in the graph: NS-3b, NS-5. A relation is a register entry, never a compliance claim.
2 Nexus Standards · 3 domains · 31 external standards · 23 issuing bodies · 0 implementing repositories. Relations (adopt, profile, crosswalk, cite) are as recorded in the register; names and standards remain with their stewards.
Crosswalk graph59 nodes and 68 links from the registry of external standards, programme areas and implementations (the external standards register, the consumers register. Relations (adopt, profile, crosswalk, cite) are shown as recorded in the register.
- Nexus Standards
- 3
- NS-3, NS-3b, NS-5
- Open standards
- 9
- named, never copied
- Data and feeds
- 5
- listed for reference
- Couplings
- 4
- with other areas
02Geospatial and Earth observation
Geospatial and Earth observation
13 register entries.
| Standard | Body | Version | Relation | Access | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 19115-1:2014 Geographic information – Metadata – Part 1: Fundamentals | ISO/TC 211 | 2014 with Amd 1:2018 and Amd 2:2020 | compatibility profile (restricted) | paywalled | verified |
| ISO 19157-1:2023 Geographic information – Data quality – Part 1: General requirements | ISO/TC 211 | 2023 (April 2023; replaces ISO 19157:2013) | compatibility profile (restricted) | paywalled | verified |
| OGC API – Features – Part 1: Core | Open Geospatial Consortium | 1.0.1 (17-069r4 corrigendum); Parts 2 and 3 also 1.0.1 | adopt | open | verified |
| OGC API – Records – Part 1: Core | Open Geospatial Consortium | 1.0 (20-004r1, International Standard) | crosswalk | open | unverified |
| SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC) specification | STAC community; OGC Community Standard 25-004 | 1.1.0 (OGC Community Standard); core text CC BY 4.0 | adopt | open | verified |
| OGC GeoPackage Encoding Standard | Open Geospatial Consortium | 1.4.0 (12-128r19, 6 February 2024) | cite | open | verified |
| OGC SensorThings API Part 1: Sensing | Open Geospatial Consortium | 1.1 (18-088); Part 2 Tasking Core 1.0; STAplus 1.0 | crosswalk | open | unverified |
| RFC 7946 The GeoJSON Format | IETF | Proposed Standard (August 2016) | adopt | open | verified |
| UN-GGIM Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF) | UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management | nine strategic pathways | cite | open | unverified |
| International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) interoperability and performance work | UN Office for Outer Space Affairs | current | cite | open | unverified |
| OGC SensorML encoding standard | OGC | 2.0 | adopt | open | unverified |
| CCSDS space data system standards | Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems | current | cite | open | unverified |
| OGC GeoSPARQL – A Geographic Query Language for RDF Data | OGC | 1.1 | adopt | open | unverified |
Unverified entries rest on a secondary source for at least one field, as indicated in the register.
03Nature-related disclosure and ecosystems
Nature-related disclosure and ecosystems
6 register entries.
| Standard | Body | Version | Relation | Access | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures | TNFD | v1.0 (18 September 2023); LEAP v2.0 reported October 2026 | crosswalk | open | verified |
| Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework | Convention on Biological Diversity | 2022 | cite | open | unverified |
| IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria | IUCN | 3.1 | adopt | open | unverified |
| IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology | IUCN | 2.0 | adopt | open | unverified |
| System of Environmental-Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting | UN Statistical Commission | 2021 | crosswalk | open | unverified |
| UNCCD Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality | UN Convention to Combat Desertification | 2017 | cite | open | unverified |
Unverified entries rest on a secondary source for at least one field, as indicated in the register.
04Climate
Climate
12 register entries.
| Standard | Body | Version | Relation | Access | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures | International Sustainability Standards Board (IFRS Foundation) | issued 26 June 2023; effective 1 January 2024 | crosswalk | unknown | unverified |
| GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard | World Resources Institute and WBCSD (GHG Protocol) | Revised edition 2004; third edition under revision (progress update December 2025) | cite | open | verified |
| GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance | GHG Protocol | 2015; revision in progress | cite | open | verified |
| GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard | GHG Protocol | 2011; revision in progress | cite | open | unverified |
| ISO 14090:2019 Adaptation to climate change – Principles, requirements and guidelines | ISO/TC 207/SC 7 | 2019 | compatibility profile (restricted) | paywalled | verified |
| ISO 14091:2021 Adaptation to climate change – Guidelines on vulnerability, impacts and risk assessment | ISO/TC 207/SC 7 | 2021 | compatibility profile (restricted) | paywalled | verified |
| NGFS long-term climate macro-financial scenarios | Network for Greening the Financial System | Phase V (5 November 2024); explanatory notes 7 November 2025 | cite | open | unverified |
| SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard | Science Based Targets initiative | V1.3 baseline; V2.0 criteria document dated June 2026 (effective dates UNVERIFIED) | cite | open | verified |
| INFORM Climate Change Risk Index – Concept and Methodology | European Commission Joint Research Centre | 2022 (JRC129896) | cite | open | verified |
| IPCC AR6 Working Group II – risk framing (hazard, exposure, vulnerability, response) | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change | AR6 WGII (2022) | adopt | open | verified |
| GOOS Essential Ocean Variables | IOC-UNESCO Global Ocean Observing System | current | adopt | open | unverified |
| UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience (Global Goal on Adaptation) | UNFCCC | 2023 | cite | open | unverified |
Unverified entries rest on a secondary source for at least one field, as indicated in the register.
05Relations
Relation types and their evidence
| Relation | Meaning | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
cite | The Nexus Standard refers to the external standard as context. | Identifier, version and URL in the register. |
profile | The Nexus Standard constrains or specialises an open external standard (for example STAC, DCAT, PROV-O, DataCite, CAP). | Conformance tests against the external standard’s own validator where one exists. |
crosswalk | Elements of the external standard map to Nexus elements (clauses, record fields). | A crosswalk table in the register entry; each row cites the external clause by number, never by text. |
adopt | The Nexus Standards use the external standard as it is for a function (for example ISO 3166-1, SPDX, ORCID, ROR). | Validation of values against the external scheme. |
extend | A Nexus Standard adds machine-readable, real-time or provenance elements that the external standard lacks. | The extension is a Nexus clause or field; the external standard is cited as the baseline. |
gap | No external standard covers the concern; a Nexus Standard specifies it. | The gap statement in the landscape study. |
06Questions
Questions and answers.
Does a crosswalk establish that a geospatial and Earth observation artefact conforms to these standards?
A crosswalk is a mapping. A relation is displayed as clauses derived from the external standard and their current results; any determination of conformity with an external standard rests with the body entitled to make it.
Why are some relations shown as compatibility profile (restricted)?
The standard is paywalled. Its text is not reproduced, and a compatibility profile of it is published only under an institutional arrangement with the issuing body.
Why are some entries marked unverified?
An unverified entry rests on a secondary source for at least one of name, body, version or year; NS14-R5 requires it to be shown as unverified.
Related
Around geospatial and Earth observation.
Standards
Shape the standards for geospatial and earth observation.
Governments, regulators, standards bodies, industry, academia and communities are invited to shape the catalogue ahead of its first official release, targeted for 2030: comment on a draft, propose a change, join a working group or host a field exercise.
Status and use. The Nexus Standards are proposed standards developed through an open process under NS-13 and published for voluntary use; they do not constitute certification, accreditation or regulatory approval, and adoption remains a decision of the Global Standards Council and, in each country, of its National Standards Council. A UNI (Unique Nexus Identifier) identifies an artefact; it does not certify it. Names of standards bodies and their standards belong to their stewards and are used only to identify the documents; no text of an external standard is reproduced here. Nexus Standards is not affiliated with, endorsed by or certified by any standards body named here.
Licences: CC BY 4.0 for standards text, registries, schemas and data; Apache-2.0 for reference code. External standards are cited by name, number and link under their own licences. Third-party data, libraries and fonts keep their own licences: see Third-party notices.