Analytics for a Better World: Transforming Decision Making for Environmental Sustainability, Robert Monné

Fleet Forum Annual Conference 2025 

At this year’s Fleet Forum Annual Conference 2025, keynote speaker Robert Monné, Managing Director at Analytics for a Better World, took the virtual stage to share how analytics is transforming how humanitarian and environmental organisations make decisions. His session was a compelling call to action for embracing data as a driver of change. 

A Smarter Way to Solve Big Problems 

Robert opened with a truth many attendees could relate to: humanitarian and nonprofit organisations operate under tight budgets and increasing pressure to prove their impact. In this landscape, data-driven decision making isn’t a luxury; it’s essential. 

Through real-world examples and expert insights, he demonstrated how analytics can help mission-driven organisations prioritise resources, measure outcomes, and scale solutions more effectively. This approach aligns directly with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering a path to more sustainable and impactful interventions. 

Analytics in Action: The Ocean Cleanup Case 

A highlight of the keynote was Robert’s deep dive into The Ocean Cleanup initiative-a case study that perfectly illustrated the power of applied analytics: 

Challenge: Remove millions of tons of ocean plastic, originally estimated to take 10 years and cost $7.5 billion. 

Solution: Use predictive models based on ocean currents, plastic density, and weather patterns to optimise vessel routing. 

Impact: The project timeline was halved to 5 years, and projected costs dropped to $4 billion. 

This success was only possible through cross-sector collaboration-NGOs provided environmental expertise, tech companies-built data pipelines and dashboards, and academic researchers developed optimization algorithms. The result was an adaptive system that improved in real time. 

Why Collaboration Matters More Than Ever 

Throughout the keynote, Robert emphasised that analytics thrives in collaboration. He outlined a model where: 

• Nonprofits define the problems and real-world constraints 

• Tech partners build scalable tools and manage infrastructure 

• Academic institutions contribute rigorous models and evaluation frameworks 

Together, this tri-sector approach accelerates innovation and leads to actionable, scalable solutions-exactly the kind of thinking Fleet Forum promotes in fleet and logistics strategy. 

Data-Driven Impact in Humanitarian Operations 

Robert also explored how analytics can enhance humanitarian operations, with examples including: 

• Logistics optimization to reduce food waste and ensure timely delivery 

• Road safety interventions based on predictive crash data and high-risk zone analysis 

• Fleet performance tracking using real-time metrics and historical trends 

Looking Ahead: From Insight to Action 

Robert closed his keynote with a call to action for all conference participants: start using analytics in your organisation-no matter your size or resources. Whether it’s tracking a key performance indicator (KPI), optimizing a delivery route, or collaborating with a university team, every data-informed step brings us closer to stronger impact. 

Watch the keynote presentation here: https://youtu.be/7glYiW9Znzk?feature=shared