We believe that climate risk data is only useful if you can trust it — and trust requires transparency. This documentation explains every data source, analytical approach, and assumption behind the results you see in your Continuuiti reports. It is designed to support stakeholder presentations, regulatory filings, and internal due diligence.
This public methodology disclosure describes our analytical approach at a conceptual level. Proprietary calibration parameters (rating thresholds, scoring weights, and calculation constants) are documented in our internal methodology reference, accessible to platform users via the in-report methodology drawer.
Module Documentation
Each module has its own detailed methodology page covering data sources, approaches, limitations, and appropriate use.
How the Platform Works
Continuuiti Tools is a geospatial analytics platform that provides screening-level environmental, climate, and flood risk assessments for any location on Earth. The platform combines satellite imagery, climate projections, flood models, and damage estimation into a suite of integrated modules accessible through a web dashboard.
When you submit a location for analysis, the application sends your coordinates to the Capabilities API, which performs all geospatial computation. Depending on the module, the API queries Google Earth Engine for satellite data, runs climate models, or computes damage estimates using bundled reference data. Results are stored in a database and presented in your report.
Single analysis processes one location at a time. Some modules return results within seconds; others require several minutes of processing via cloud-based workers. Batch analysis allows you to submit up to 5,000 locations in a single request, processed asynchronously.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Your request has been received and is queued for processing |
| Processing | Analysis is actively running |
| Completed | All results are available |
| Failed | Processing encountered an error — you can retry at no additional cost |
| Partial | Some parts succeeded while others failed — partial results are available |
Each analysis consumes one credit per location. Failed analyses can be retried without consuming additional credits.
Climate Scenarios (SSPs)
Climate projections are presented under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) — standardised narratives about how the world might develop over the 21st century.
SSP2-4.5 (“Middle of the Road”) assumes moderate emissions reductions consistent with current policy pledges but not full decarbonisation. Widely used as a central planning assumption for risk assessments and regulatory disclosures.
SSP5-8.5 (“Fossil-Fueled Development”) assumes high economic growth powered by fossil fuels with limited climate policy. The standard for stress testing and worst-case analysis in financial regulation (e.g., TCFD, CSRD).
SSP1-2.6 (the optimistic scenario) is not included because the primary climate dataset (NASA NEX-GDDP-CMIP6) does not provide data for this pathway. The exception is Sea Level Rise, which uses independently published IPCC AR6 projections covering all scenarios.
Time Horizons
Baseline represents the historical reference period, typically 1980-2014. This is the “current climate” against which future changes are measured.
Future horizons (2030, 2040, 2050 for Climate Risk; 2030, 2050, 2080 for Flood Depth) represent the centre years of 20-year averaging windows. For example, “2030” uses data averaged across 2020-2039. Twenty-year windows capture the underlying trend rather than random year-to-year fluctuations.
The modules use different time horizons because they rely on different underlying datasets. Climate Risk uses CMIP6 projections (annual resolution), while Flood Depth uses Aqueduct V2 (available for 2030, 2050, and 2080 only).
Resolution and Scale
Different data sources operate at different resolutions because of the physics and technology involved in collecting them. This has important implications for interpreting results.
| Data Source | Resolution | Module | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sentinel-2 imagery | 10 m | LULC | Individual large buildings visible |
| ESA WorldCover | 10 m | Climate Risk | Neighbourhood-level land use |
| FABDEM elevation | 30 m | Climate Risk | Block-level terrain |
| Hansen forest change | 30 m | LULC | Individual clearings visible |
| JRC GloFAS flood | 90 m | Flood Depth | Street-level flood extent |
| Aqueduct flood projections | ~1 km | Flood Depth | Neighbourhood-level flood change |
| NASA NEX-GDDP-CMIP6 | ~25 km | Climate Risk | Regional climate trends |
| Aqueduct water stress | ~10,000 km² | Climate Risk | Basin-level water availability |
All Continuuiti results are appropriate for portfolio-level screening and site comparison, not for property-level engineering assessments.
How Modules Work Together
Full flood risk chain: Geocode addresses to coordinates. Run Flood Depth to determine water levels. Feed depths into Damage Estimation to calculate monetary loss. This answers: “Where is this address?” → “How deep would flooding be?” → “How much damage would occur?”
Supply chain screening: Geocode supplier locations, then run LULC analysis for EUDR deforestation screening with satellite imagery, forest cover assessment, and protected area proximity.
Portfolio climate screening: Geocode portfolio locations, then run Climate Risk assessments. Use composite scores and hazard ratings to prioritise sites for detailed assessment and support TCFD/CSRD disclosure.
Batch Processing
All modules support batch processing for up to 5,000 locations per request.
| Module | Processing Mode | Typical Time Per Location |
|---|---|---|
| Geocoding | Sequential (rate limited) | ~1 second |
| LULC | Asynchronous (cloud workers) | 4-6 minutes |
| Climate Risk | Asynchronous (cloud workers) | 2-4 minutes |
| Flood Depth | Asynchronous (cloud workers) | ~2 seconds |
| Damage Estimation | Synchronous (instant) | Sub-millisecond |
Failed locations within a batch can be retried without additional credit cost.
Geographic Coverage
| Module | Coverage | Key Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Geocoding | Global | Strongest in Europe and North America |
| LULC | Global (80°N to 80°S) | Cloud cover in tropical regions |
| Climate Risk | Global | ~25 km resolution smooths small islands |
| Flood Depth | Global (riverine and coastal) | Gaps on small islands |
| Damage Estimation (HAZUS) | US only | US construction practices |
| Damage Estimation (JRC) | 214 countries | Continental-average curves |
Data Privacy
Reports are stored in Continuuiti’s database and are accessible only to the user who created them. Data isolation is enforced at the account level. Location coordinates and analysis results are stored for your future reference. No data is shared with third parties beyond the data source providers listed in the Data Sources Reference.
Legal and Compliance
All results produced by Continuuiti Tools are for informational and screening purposes only. They are not intended as, and should not be construed as, legal, financial, engineering, or insurance advice. Results should be interpreted by qualified professionals in the context of specific decision-making requirements.
EUDR: LULC deforestation screening supports the initial due diligence phase. It does not constitute official compliance certification.
TCFD / CSRD: Climate Risk reports can support climate-related financial disclosure. Results provide screening-level physical risk assessments that can inform the identification and assessment of climate-related risks.
FEMA: Flood Depth results are not official flood zone determinations. FEMA designations require site-specific analysis by licensed professionals.
Insurance: Damage estimates are screening-level approximations, not suitable for insurance underwriting or claims adjustment without additional professional validation.