How MSCI GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence can help investors to reduce and mitigate risk

The approach, initiative or process 

The need for location-based risk assessment

As climate and nature-related risks intensify, financial institutions increasingly want physical risk and biodiversity solutions that capture location data. Traditional company-level portfolio analysis lacks the granularity needed to evaluate such risks.

Geospatial intelligence is reshaping how investors assess and manage risk by delivering location-specific insights that move beyond conventional portfolio-level metrics. The ability to pinpoint exposure to floods, storms, heat waves and other hazards is increasingly a strategic necessity.

Introducing MSCI GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence

MSCI GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence directly addresses demand for asset-specific intelligence, covering more than two million locations for currently 700,000 public and private companies to help investors assess physical and nature-related risks in hyperlocal detail.^[1]

The solution equips investors to quantify location-based exposures down to the level of individual facilities, plants and real estate properties, enabling them to identify where risk is unfolding and to understand what it means for their portfolios.

Detailed insights and technological differentiators

MSCI GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence uses AI-powered data collection and mapping capabilities to help financial institutions assess, manage and mitigate physical risk in portfolios and loan books across 28 hazard types, 11 climate scenarios and multiple time horizons.^[2] Technology-driven differentiators include:

• AI-powered insights. The tool leverages Google Cloud’s Vertex AI and Earth Engine to enhance data processing and geospatial analysis;
• seamless data integration. MSCI enables scalable access through Snowflake,^[3] allowing clients to integrate insights into their internal risk and investment models;
• powerful map-based visualisations via our MSCI ONE platform;
• integration of these technologies into MSCI GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence equips investors to see physical climate and nature-related risk exposures and seize investment opportunities.

Regulatory alignment and reporting

MSCI GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence provides data designed to support alignment with global disclosure frameworks and regulatory mandates across regions. The tool is designed for alignment with global baselines such as the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) – including the LEAP (locate, evaluate, assess and prepare) approach – as well as mandates such as the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the European Banking Authority’s Pillar 3 framework and the risk management and disclosure framework implemented by Canada’s Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions.

Use cases

Investment management

MSCI GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence better equips institutional investors to assess resilience, reallocate capital and manage risk with precision in both public and private markets. Institutions with portfolios optimised for physical risks aren’t just protecting assets – they’re unlocking new sources of value and building long-term resilience.

Credit risk and lending

MSCI GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence can help bank credit and risk teams assess the value of assets pledged as collateral, as well as anticipate how natural catastrophes such as floods and hurricanes may affect their loan books. By analysing asset-specific physical risk, banks can adjust the price of loans based on exposure and enhance overall capital resilience. The data also informs climate stress testing and scenario analysis, enabling lenders to deepen insight into climate-related financial impacts in line with regulatory and prudential expectations such as those outlined by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.

Insurance and capital allocation

MSCI GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence enables insurers to quantify potential damage to property from severe weather events and other climate-amplified natural disasters. By leveraging advanced hazard scoring, financial institutions can improve pricing, sharpen their forecasts of risk and ensure that capital allocation strategies account for the effects of a warming world.

Strategic collaborations and expanded capabilities

MSCI has teamed with a series of climate, nature and innovation leaders to enhance the accuracy and depth of its GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence. Recent examples include:

• Collaboration with Swiss Re. In April 2025, MSCI expanded its GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence model by integrating reinsurer Swiss Re’s Natural Catastrophe (NatCat) models to enhance physical risk assessments at the asset level. As part of this initial release, MSCI integrated Swiss Re hazard scores with MSCI ESG research’s existing climate hazards for comprehensive physical risk assessment so financial institutions can access a single, scalable solution for analysing, managing and mitigating climate risk at the asset level.
• Partnering with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). In December 2024, MSCI partnered with the WWF to deliver an integrated solution that combines the WWF’s Biodiversity Risk Filter with MSCI’s GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence. The collaboration enables financial institutions to access detailed, location-based biodiversity data that can be aggregated at the issuer level, facilitating the integration of nature-related data into risk management and investment decisions.
• Leveraging Google Cloud. In August 2023, MSCI expanded its strategic alliance with Google Cloud to accelerate the development of generative AI solutions for the investment industry. It did this by integrating Google Cloud’s gen AI platform, Vertex AI, BigQuery Geospatial and Earth Engine into its climate analytics to help clients manage portfolio risks and opportunities and make informed investment decisions.
• Launch of physical risk metrics at the issuer level: Built on the foundation of MSCI’s GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence, it aggregates detailed, location-level risk insights at the company level, creating a comparable and scalable view of the company’s physical risk exposure. This enables rapid screening, consistent benchmarking and climate-resilient strategy development.

These collaborations highlight how MSCI continues to enhance the accuracy and depth of GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence to ensure that clients have the most advanced climate and nature risk metrics available. The future of data-driven risk intelligence GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence reflects MSCI’s commitment to delivering alternative data that helps investors identify financially relevant risks and opportunities that conventional models might miss. MSCI anticipates continuing to deliver risk intelligence that leverages AI to enable more representative, forward-looking analytics that help institutions sharpen visibility, prioritise action and make more informed, risk-adjusted decisions.

Measures to ensure transparency and generate outcomes

MSCI’s GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence platform is purpose-built with transparency at its core, enabling financial institutions to make informed, data-driven decisions. MSCI realises this commitment through extensive data provenance and rigorous validation.

Clear and accessible information

Each asset location within the platform is enriched with broad metadata – source references, mapping accuracy scores and data quality ratings. Every asset is assigned a unique identifier and includes detailed attributes such as geographic coordinates, administrative divisions and activity types. This granularity enhances traceability, enabling users to verify the origin and reliability of the data and fostering confidence in its use.

To further support transparency, the platform provides issuer coverage scores and data quality metrics that quantify data completeness and validation levels. These metrics are clearly communicated, offering users a transparent view of the strength of the derived insights.

Transparent methodologies

MSCI provides full visibility into its modeling approaches for assessing physical and nature-related risks. These include the use of peer-reviewed datasets – such as climate models from CMIP6 (Couple Model Intercomparison Projects) and the WWF’s Biodiversity Risk Filter – and partnerships with leading institutions such as Swiss Re and Fathom.

Methodologies for evaluating hazard exposure, financial impact and biodiversity risk are publicly documented and aligned with leading global frameworks, including the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Network for Greening the Financial System and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).

Practical examples of transparency in action

With a foundation built on transparency and scientific integrity, MSCI’s GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence platform delivers actionable insights for investors, regulators and other stakeholders. Examples include:

• Regulatory alignment. GeoSpatial Asset Intelligence supports compliance with major regulatory frameworks and baselines such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures. It provides location-specific risk and impact data – identifying, for example, assets exposed to 1-in-200-year flood events and estimating potential financial losses – supporting stress testing and disclosure obligations.
• Nature risk mapping. The platform integrates WWF’s Biodiversity Risk Filter to help identify whether assets are situated in such ecologically sensitive zones as deforestation fronts or areas of high pollination dependency. These insights are directly linked to specific asset activities, advancing nature-related risk transparency.
• Open data delivery. MSCI ensures data accessibility through multiple channels, including Snowflake, APIs and advanced visualisation tools. This empowers clients to independently verify, analyse and integrate the data seamlessly into their own systems.

PRI disclaimer:This case study aims to contribute to the debate around topical responsible investment issues. It should not be construed as advice, nor relied upon. It is written by a guest contributor. Authors write in their individual capacity – posts do not necessarily represent a PRI view. The inclusion of examples or case studies does not constitute an endorsement by PRI Association or PRI signatories.