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README.md

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 # What if companies' environmental impacts could be quantified in monetary terms!?
 
-This repository contains a derivative set of data derived from the Global Value Factors Database (GVFD) as published by the International Foundation for Valuing Impacts (IFVI) and released during UN Climate Week NYC 2023.
+## About The Global Value Factors Explorer Dataset
+
+The Global Value Factors Database, released by the [International Foundation for Valuing Impacts](https://www.ifvi.org) during UN Climate Week NYC 2023, provides a set of almost 100,000 “value factors” for converting environmental impacts into monetary terms.  
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+The GVFD covers 430 different environmental impacts across four main categories of impact: air pollution, land use and conversion, waste and water pollution . With the exception of the value factor for greenhouse gas emissions, for which a single value factor is provided ($236/tco2e), the value factors are geographically stratified (in other words, the value factors are both impact-specific and geolocation-specific).  In total, there are 268 geolocations in the dataset reflecting all the world's recognised sovereigns as well as some international dependencies. In addition, one set of value factors, air pollution, provides data at the level of US states. 
 
-This derivative data set is simply a reformulation of the first version of the database as released by IFVI. 
+The value factors are intended for use by account preparers preparing financial statements which integrate their environmental and social impacts alongside their traditional financial impacts, unifying all their holistic impacts into one set of financial calculations  While the GVFD covers only environmental factors, a key part of the IFVI's mission is also developing methodologies for quantifying social impacts. 
 
-The original data source is in XLSM format reflecting its intended primary use by those preparing financial accounts. 
+The main categories of impact covered in the dataset are as follows:
 
-The purpose of this data release is to reformat it as JSON, GeoJSON and CSV to support data analytics and visualizations processes. 
+- ir pollution provides a set of value factors to monetise the costs associated with six air pollutants linked to effects upon population health, agricultural productivity and other impacts. 
+- Land use and conversion provides monetary impacts for companies' roles in displacing “pristine land” for their operations. 
+- Waste attempts to quantify the impacts generated by companies through both their generation and disposal waste. 
+- Water impacts monetize both companies' water consumption and their pollutants covering 104 individual water pollutants. 
 
-This derivative data set is made available for the use of non-profit users including sustainability researchers, academics and anybody interested in thinking widely about how our system for valuing corporate impacts could be better aligned with the needs of our planet. 
+In order to fulfill their intended purpose, the value factors need to be matched with the raw quantitative environmental data which each value factor is intended to convert into monetary terms (the value factors are expressed as conversions to the US dollar).
 
-The data as released by IFVI contains a series of almost 100,000 value factors covering 430 different environmental impacts across 268 geographies around the world.  
+This derivative dataset was prepared by me, Daniel Rosehill, in order to facilitate the exploration and analysis of this dataset by non-commercial users.  I believe that there is a strong policy interest in the question of how companies' impacts can be properly accounted for, recognising their societal and planetary effects. 
 
-Value factors are proposed monetary coefficients based upon the IFVI's consultation process and scientific advice. Details of their formulation are contained in the documentation that they released and which constitute important supplementary material to the data points.
+To facilitate such analysis, I undertook a data reformatting process converting the initial version of the IFVI data from its original format (`XLSM`) and providing it as extracted comma-separated value files, as well as `JSON` structured in various hierarchies, some reflecting a territorial hierarchy (i.e. by geolocation) and others reflecting an impact-first hierarchy (in other words, with the impacts as the primary level, and the geo-stratified value factors nested under them). 
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+The CSV files should provide the flexibility for users to work with the data as they see fit, while the `JSON` files direct towards specific vantage points and use cases for the data. 
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+Use of the value factors is governed in accordance with the licensing terms provided by the IFVI (which, at the time of writing, provide for free usage for individual account preparers and non-commercial users.) Those looking to read the full official licence should refer to the website of the IFVI at www.ifvi.org 
 
 ## What are value factors?
 
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